Offshore Energy Storage System

The project is investigating new grid-scale electricity storage based on a subsea pumped hydro plant. The concept involves a subsea installation of man-made reservoirs for the storage of electric energy through the use of a reversible pump turbine. The ph ysical principle is identical to conventional pumped hydro storage, which is a mature technology but today limited to locations with suitable mountain reservoirs and water access. The key innovation of subsea pumped hydro storage is to expand the use of t his cost effective technology into deep water locations offshore. The aim is a new grid storage solution which is essential for the large-scale integration of variable solar and wind energy sources. The primary objective of this project is to verify th at the solution is technically feasible and to prove that an Offshore Energy Storage System is economically attractive. Several innovative design approaches will be investigated for the system's components, including new high performance materials and new construction and installation methods.

The Offshore Pumped-Storage (OPS) system is a patent-pending(Subhydro) concept for a utility-scale electricity storage solution. The concept involves a subsea installation of man-made reservoirs for the generation and storage of electric energy through a pump turbine - generator unit. OPS is a safe and environmentally friendly energy storage for coastal regions and islands and offers a matchless solution for offshore oil & gas platforms. OPS enables the use of more variable energy sources such as wind, ti dal and solar power. OPS has a global potential to reduce dependency on fossil fuel power generation and on capital intensive grid connections to remote locations