3 Emerging Concepts to Store Energy in Canada
Canada is known for hosting diverse initiatives in clean energy technology, but it’s particularly innovative when it comes to energy storage. A number of Canadian developers have been working in this field, testing leading-edge concepts including sealed cavern, underwater balloons, and hydrogen. Those initiatives are being implemented predominantly in Ontario, supported by the Ontario Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), and in association with large utility companies.
The incentive from IESO is part of a greater effort by system operators across Canada to promote investments towards more efficient grids. Once commercially mature, these energy storage technologies can greatly contribute to fine-tune the power supply in the grid and prevent energy surplus for being waste. All in all, these technologies also contribute to optimizing investments in new capacity by avoiding expensive grid upgrades to accommodate power generation surges and overflows.
Particularly in Ontario, the growing impacts of large wind and solar installations on the grid play a critical role in bringing IESO to the storage space. By spreading reliable storage facilities along with the grid, the Ontario operator will be able to smooth out the typical fluctuations of these energy sources, and also add more stability and reliability to the grid. In the long run, these facilities can help operators to bring down electricity bills by feeding the grid with low-cost energy captured during off-peak hours.
IESO currently has over 20 energy storage projects under contract. Among them are those already operational, mainly based on lithium battery banks, including Festival Hydro in Stratford (Hecate Energy LLC and Powin Energy Corp.), BESS in Toronto (Deltro Energy Inc.), and Amphora in Strathroy (RES Canada Inc.). But developing energy storage solutions can be particularly appealing when involving innovative approaches based on emerging technologies. Here are three ongoing projects in Canada that deal with these advanced concepts in the very day:
Power-to-Gas
Canadian Hydrogenics Test Systems Inc and multinational energy transportation company Enbridge are developing a power-to-gas facility with 2.5 MW capacity – scalable to 5MW – in Markham, Great Toronto Area. The facility will take the surplus electricity from the grid to make hydrogen and then stored. The system allows the hydrogen to be converted back into electricity when needed, or blended with natural gas to reduce emissions. The project uses next-generation PEM electrolyzers.
Underground Energy Storage
NRStor C&I and Hydrostor Inc. are developing in Goderich, Southwestern Ontario, a Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) with 1.75 MW capacity. The facility will store excess power from the province’s electrical grid in the form of compressed air and heat, using an abandoned bedded salt cavern located 550 meters under Lake Huron for storage. As part of the project, compressed air will be kept in the sealed cavern, and the heat generated from compressing the air will be stored in tanks. The companies have partnered with Compass Minerals and the University of Waterloo.
Underwater Energy Storage
Hydrostor Inc. and municipal electricity distribution company Toronto Hydro are testing an underwater energy storage located 3 km off Toronto Island. The facility was designed to store excess electricity generated during low-demand off-peak hours by driving compressed air into a balloon-like structure 55 meters under Lake Ontario. When the stored energy is required the weight of the water is used to push the air to the surface through a pipe where an expander converts the air back into electricity. The system is being tested at a pilot scale of 700 kW. If successfully tested, this technology is intended to be used to stabilize Toronto Hydro’s grid during peak times.