Seabed could store renewable energy

UNIVERSITY of Edinburgh has led on a study of ways to improve energy storage, and has discovered that it might be possible to use porous rocks under the North Sea

. The advanced technique would be used to trap compressed air in the rocks using renewable electricity. The study found that by doing this on a large scale it might be possible to store enough energy for the UK during winter. Locating wells close to sources of renewable energy – such as offshore wind turbines – would make the process more efficient, cheaper and reduce the amount of undersea cables required, the team says.

Dr Julien Mouli-Castillo, of the University of Edinburgh’s School of GEOSCIENCES, who led the study, said: “This method could make it possible to store renewable energy produced in the summer for those chilly winter nights. It can provide a viable, though expensive, option to ensure the UK’s renewable electricity supply is resilient between seasons.

More research could help to refine the process and bring costs down.”