Is electricity storage a cost-effective technology for low-carbon power systems?

Electricity storage is considered a key technology to enable low-carbon power systems. However, existing studies focus on investment cost. The future lifetime cost of different technologies (i.e., levelized cost of storage) that account for all relevant cost and performance parameters are still unexplored.

Are mechanical energy storage systems cost-efficient?

The results indicated that mechanical energy storage systems, namely PHS and CAES, are still the most cost-efficient options for bulk energy storage. PHS and CAES approximately add 54 and 71 €/MWh respectively, to the cost of charging power. The project׳s environmental permitting costs and contingency may increase the costs, however.

What are energy related costs?

Energy related costs include all the costs undertaken to build energy storage banks or reservoirs, expressed per unit of stored or delivered energy (€/kWh). In this manner, cost of PCS and storage device are decoupled to estimate the contribution of each part more explicitly in TCC calculations.

What is the future role of stationary electricity storage?

The future role of stationary electricity storage is perceived as highly uncertain. One reason is that most studies into the future cost of storage technologies focus on investment cost. An appropriate cost assessment must be based on the application-specific lifetime cost of storing electricity.

Are battery electricity storage systems a good investment?

This study shows that battery electricity storage systems offer enormous deployment and cost-reduction potential. By 2030, total installed costs could fall between 50% and 60% (and battery cell costs by even more), driven by optimisation of manufacturing facilities, combined with better combinations and reduced use of materials.

Is there a future lifetime cost for multiple electricity storage technologies?

The future lifetime cost of different technologies (i.e., levelized cost of storage) that account for all relevant cost and performance parameters are still unexplored. This study projects application-specific lifetime cost for multiple electricity storage technologies.