The World Energy Forum 2018 (WEF) took place in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, one of the autonomous regions of China, between 10th-12th August. Storelectric received a personal invite from the President of the WEF Dr Harold Oh. Tallat Azad, SEL Executive Director, presented under the session Advanced Storage Technologies with Professors Simon Hogg (Durham University) and Philip Leigh (University of Cumbria) amongst others.
In total over 400 people attended, all focused on discussing renewable technologies, their challenges and their solutions. Dignitaries from various interrelated areas were present including ambassadors, Noble laureates, businesses, government officials and academic institutions. The picture below shows delegates and presenters at the opening ceremony and our Inner Mongolian hosts—Tallat is in the middle directly under the word “culture”.
Storelectric was one of only two businesses present and as such a reflection of the importance of our role in championing grid scale storage (the other company Yunasko from Ukraine is involved with batteries and ultracapacitors). A list of all attendees and the agenda is available on request.
There were a wide range of interesting themes discussed at the forum. In addition to the more obvious topics such as the developments in different types of renewable technologies (wind, solar, anaerobic digesters), storage solutions (CAES, pumped hydro and batteries) and grid integration, there were discussions on the blue economy (opportunities in space), how to revitalize heavily-mined landscapes, the impact of air quality on the aged population and means of attracting tourism to the grasslands of Inner Mongolia.
Storelectric’s Presentation
Storelectric presented at one of the parallel sessions to an audience of 100 people on the subject of storage and energy. The following points were raised and discussed:
- Subsidies for storage are not the solution, we need to make storage prices attractive so that they become the natural choice of suppliers and consumers.
- We expect hydrocarbons to be prevalent in China for the next 10-15 years. Therefore, storage has to develop alongside a sensible transition to renewables. Hydrocarbons have the highest energy density per mass (the carbon molecule provides hydrogen a carrier to make it safer and more transportable) and it is highly unlikely we will replace jet fuel with anything else. On ground, electrification however is possible and this increase in usage will bring large storage into the picture more and more prominently.
- With difficult problems like intermittency we need to take one step at a time and the first step is resolving the storage problem. Policy, technology and infrastructure are the triad we need to solve.
- Does storage have a clear roadmap for realization of its full potential? The panel seemed to think not even though other industries (such as, for example, semiconductors) have greatly benefited by such an approach. Delegates felt this was leading to a lack of focused effort.
- In parallel with storage, we must give thought to supporting energy infrastructure such as the transmission grid, which is getting older and less fit for purpose. In the energy landscape of tomorrow, there needs to be a coordinated development of the energy economy.
- A closing comment was “if we don’t start the revolution we will be revolutionised”.
- The technology hub is located on the east coast of China.
Our 5-step plan
Storelectric ended its presentation with a 5-step plan:
- Joint activity to identify and map all suitable geological locations in China.
- Further technology development of CAES technology adapted for use in China (e.g. TES CAES, CCGT CAES and or hybrids using blended fuel mixes).
- Joint co-operation with Storelectric’s first projects in UK (involvement with a real CAES project).
- Joint co-operation to support education of Inner Mongolia delegation on CAES technology (including visit to 1st operational CAES plant in Europe).
- To help promote large-scale technology innovation in China by championing new innovative development approaches such that which NAM uses in Holland (the NAM video featured as part of Storelectric’s presentation).
Further Discussions
Follow up discussions took place with the Mayor of Ordos and his deputies, who all expressed an interest in the next steps. There was also a discussion with Dr Robert Laughlin, a Noble Laureate of Physics (in 1996) currently Professor of Physics at Stanford University. Laughlin is passionate about energy storage, is very supportive of CAES and sees solving the storage problem as the most pressing issue this century.
In addition to the conference presentations the Chinese authorities kindly organized various excursions and extra-curricular events, including:
- Lavish opening and closing ceremonies (at which the press and film crews were present)
- Attendance at a local Inner Mongolia Grassland Cultural Event
- Visit to the WEF office housed in a traditional Mongolian Yurt
- Visit to Mausoleum of Genghis Khan
Closing Comment
Inner Mongolia with its a rich and diverse cultural heritage was a fantastic place to host the World Energy Forum. The Chinese authorities see it as an area with untapped potential. It has mineral wealth, the right balance between traditional culture and new technology, the Inner Mongolian people are very protective of their heritage (in addition to Mandarin, the population of the province still speak and write the Mongolian language) and importantly this is considered to be an area that can drive the new energy transition. Storelectric was honoured to be invited to such a prestigious event.
Events such as these put Storelectric in the limelight and demonstrate the importance of grid scale storage at a global level. Clearly, storage is a global business and essential if renewable deployment is to continue. The Chinese authorities (and others) understood this message and fully endorsed it. We hope to present at next year’s WEF which will take place in New York.
In July 2024, Storelectric receive a hydrogen technology patent in China.
