– Tests carried out since the start in April 2019 confirm stability and scalability

The Swedish energy storage company SaltX Technology built and deployed a first-of-its-kind energy storage in 2019. The pilot plant, which is based on a nanocoated salt material, confirms a good material performance and a scalable energy storage concept. Furthermore, the large-scale tests showed a promising roundtrip efficiency.

The overall goal of the project was to verify and demonstrate the nanocoated (NCS) material in a pilot plant of 10 MWh.The pilot has been in operation since April 2019 at Vattenfall´s premises in Berlin.

"I am really proud of what we have achieved in Berlin in a relative short time - the results show a commercial potential for SaltX material and our technology. The next step now is to optimize the process and confirm the commercial viability in pre-commercial plants", says Carl-Johan Linér, CEO of SaltX Technology.

The pilot plant is operated on Vattenfall´s premises in Berlin.

“In 2017 when I met with SaltX for the first time I saw a great potential in the company´s technology. The results from the project verify that potential and I believe that nanocoated salt has vital role to play in tomorrow´s environmentally sustainable energy system. Germany needs more flexibility and installed storage capacity”, says Markus Witt, VP Asset Management Business Area Heat, Vattenfall Wärme Berlin AG

Based on the tests carried out in this first-of-its-kind pilot plant with regards to both the overall process and material analyses, the nanocoated salt material can be effectively used as an energy storage medium in a plant of appreciably large-scale. In addition, the pilot plant demonstrates that the process for charging (dehydration) and discharging (hydration) of thermochemical energy embodied in the NCS material works acceptably and repeatably. The next step now is to optimize the process and increase performance and plant availability leading to a commercially viable plant design.

The data from the tests are summarized below:

Energy efficiency

72% to 85% energy efficiency (electrical power to heat) –compared to the theoretical maximum of 92%.

Function

Hydration (or discharging) of the NCS material showed very good results. Discharge rate and discharge level were possible to control with high precision. 

Dehydrating (or charging) of the NCS material has been successful. However, the process efficiency does not fully meet expectations due to the dimension of the heat exchanger areas.

Materia

The coating performed adequately and prevented agglomeration. Energy density (chemical) of approximately 500 kWh/ton (excluding sensible energy) was achieved. An additional 100 kWh/ton sensible energy can also be stored in the material.

For further information, please contact:

Carl-Johan Linér, CEO of SaltX Technology, tel +46-70 532 08 08

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About SaltX energy storage concept

Strong growth in deployment of renewable energy is taking place all over the world. Energy storage is an important development required to handle the even larger percentage of solar and wind power in energy systems. SaltX has developed a thermochemical energy storage concept based on a nanocoated material. The energy storage can store both electricity and high temperature heat and then provide the energy in the form of water or steam at high temperature to meet end customer needs in industries, cogeneration plants, or any other end user with high temperature heating needs.

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