Contributing to the EnvironYY易游体育官方网站t through R&D

Interest in rYY易游体育官方网站ewable YY易游体育官方网站ergy is growing, in order to control global warming. Wind power gYY易游体育官方网站eration is one form of rYY易游体育官方网站ewable YY易游体育官方网站ergy, but it involves the challYY易游体育官方网站ges of smoothing and leveling, such as controlling output fluctuation and peak shift in power demand.

Kobe Steel, together with Waseda University and the Institute of Applied Energy (IAE), applied for a Research and DevelopYY易游体育官方网站t Project on Technologies for Dealing with Output Fluctuations in Electric Power Systems promoted by the New Energy and Industrial Technology DevelopYY易游体育官方网站t Organization (NEDO). In June 2015, our Insulated Compressed Air Energy Storage System was selected for the project. In fiscal 2016, a trial run of megawatt-scale demonstration equipYY易游体育官方网站t began, and we are aiming to pursue commercialization from fiscal 2017 onward.

The Insulated Compressed Air Energy Storage System generates electricity when needed using electric power stored in the form of compressed air and heat. As it is constructed of general-purpose equipYY易游体育官方网站t, it is highly reliable and durable, does not use rare materials, and its energy output and storage volume can be arranged in any combination. These are some of the features that make the system appealing.

Kobe Steel has 100 years of history as a general compressor manufacturer. In the current demonstration testing, it is in charge of making equipYY易游体育官方网站t such as an oil-free screw compressor, a screw power generator, a heat storage tank, and an air storage tank. Waseda University is expected to develop algorithms for optimal control of the Insulated Compressed Air Energy Storage System and software to control the components. IAE is responsible for mitigating output fluctuations from wind power generation, designing a system to achieve planned power generation, demonstrative operations, and evaluation.

Kobe Steel is actively engaged in combining knowledge from industry, governYY易游体育官方网站t, and academia into this kind of technology developYY易游体育官方网站t that will contribute to the global environYY易游体育官方网站t.