Electrochaea’s mission is to solve one of the most pressing challenges that energy systems of the future are facing: the integration of fluctuating renewables into the electricity grid. We aim to achieve this goal by using our proprietary BioCat energy storage technology.
Participating in the BioCat project is a reflection of our green ambitions. Moreover, we see great potential in participating in a project that both reduces BIOFOS’ carbon footprint and energy consumption at the same time as it enables us to produce even more biogas. If we imagine that the Power-to-gas facility runs 3000 hours a year, it will contribute to 7% of the goal we have for CO2 reduction, which are very good prospects.
Dines Thornberg, Head of Development at BIOFOS
The Problem: Surplus Electricity Production
Countries around the world are pursuing ambitious plans to increase the share of renewable energy on total energy production in an attempt to mitigate climate change and increase energy independence. The two most widely used forms of renewable energy, wind and solar, produce electricity intermittently and generally independent of demand.
These supply/demand imbalances can cause electricity prices to fall to low and sometimes even negative levels. In extreme situations of over-supply or in places with limited transmission capacity, grid operators can even be forced to curtail the production of renewable electricity. If left unresolved, these problems lead to an under-utilization of generation assets and missed revenue opportunities.
Tons of CO2 are sequestrated by a 50 MWe reactor, per year
The Solution: Bulk Energy Storage via Power-to-Gas
In many countries, the energy storage capacity of the natural gas grid is practically unlimited. This allows a power-to-gas (P2G) facility to “charge” for multiple hours or even days in a row. Once in the grid, the renewable natural gas can be stored or transmitted over long distances using existing pipelines. Being a chemical energy carrier, the renewable gas can be used in the transportation sector, for power generation, or in commercial, residential or industrial applications in order to reduce the carbon footprint.
Electrochaea’s P2G process is so flexible that it can help stabilize the electricity grid through the provision of reserve energy and frequency regulation. And because carbon dioxide is used as a feedstock in the process, our renewable gas can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 50%.
P2G dissociates the production and use of renewable electricity in both time and space. To date, it has only been possible to go from gas to power. With Electrochaea’s technology, it is now possible to go from power to gas. Through this bi-directional link between the electricity and gas systems, utilities and grid operators can now manage their assets with the highest degree of flexibility in order to maximize value.