Eric Ingersoll, CEO of General Compression, said: “General Compression is extremely pleased to have ConocoPhillips as a development partner.
“ConocoPhillips is a global leader in energy and has a clear commitment to bringing new technology and innovation to projects. We are excited to build transformative energy projects that will increase the dependability of renewables for wholesale electricity customers.”
GC and ConocoPhillips are evaluating a multiple-phase pilot project in Texas that would incorporate GCAES technology with wind energy, underground air storage and power sales.
David Marcus, president of General Compression, said: “Storage has become a major issue and opportunity in the global power markets. We are excited about the prospect of developing an efficient and cost-effective solution that addresses the issues of intermittency and the growth of renewable power on the grid.”
The company said that GCAES is a modular compressor/expander unit that has a nominal size of 2MW and features a roundtrip electrical efficiency in excess of 70%.
Unlike conventional turbomachinery-based compressed air energy storage, GCAES consumes no fuel and emits no carbon. The solution can increase utility reliance on renewables, eliminate wind power curtailment, enhance transmission utilization, and make dispatchable renewable power available to customers.
