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. A team led by Professor Dr. Andreas Schwiertz from the University of Stuttgart has developed an innovative system for storing and releasing energy. 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.