The Fraunhofer Institute is to test a new method of underwater energy storage that uses submerged hollow concrete spheres to create a pressurised tank that can feed back into the grid. Fraunhofer estimates that a less than half MW sub-sea storage farm could deliver a levelised cost of storage of between €40 to €200/MWh. That compares with traditional pumped hydro, which costs between €168 and €245/MWh.
The Fraunhofer Institute is to test a new method of underwater energy storage that uses submerged hollow concrete spheres to create a pressurised tank that can feed back into the grid. Fraunhofer estimates that a 400 MW sub-sea storage farm could deliver a levelised cost of storage of between €40 to €200/MWh. That compares with traditional pumped hydro, which costs between €168 and €245/MWh.