Salt smeltet ved 700 grader baner vejen for lagring af vedvarende energi – og billigere grøn omstilling

En grøn omstilling af vores samfund kræver både billigere energi og muligheden for at lagre og gemme vedvarende energi fra sol og vind. Salt smeltet ved højtemperatur (op til 700 grader) kan være en en af løsningerne til lagring af vedvarende energi.

Fordelene ved at anvende høj-temperatursalte ligger i en betydeligt bedre virkningsgrad, end hvis man bruger konventionelle salte.

Den forbedrede virkningsgrad vil betyde at prisen på energi kan reduceres med helt op til 20 pct. En så væsentlig reduktion i prisen vil med et slag kunne gøre disse vedvarende og klimavenlige energiteknologier fuldt konkurrencedygtige med fossile brændsler.

Der er dog samtidig en række udfordringer ved at gå til højtemperatursalt, bl.a. mangel på industrialiserede komponenter til sådanne anvendelser.

Det skal et nyt projekt, som Innovationsfonden har investeret i, forsøge at løse.

Stort økonomisk og klimamæssigt potentiale

Projektet adresserer således den største udfordring for disse energiteknologier, nemlig en pumpe som kan holde til at pumpe 700 °C varmt salt rundt. Projektet kan være med til at videreføre en stolt dansk pumpetradition, og åbner samtidig et helt nyt forretningsområde op.

Projektet forventes at skabe en betydelig vækst og et større antal danske arbejdspladser inden for de næste 4-5 år. Det forventes, at projektet medfører et markant økonomisk potentiale inden for få år, samtidig med at det kan bidrage til en billigere og mere omfattende grøn omstilling i Danmark.

Projektet inddrager en række tværfaglige discipliner inden for materialer, elektronik og mekanik. Dermed trækker alle projektpartnere på hinandens faglige kompetencer.

- Ved at udvikle en pumpe til brug for højtemperatursmeltet salt kan projektet potentielt give et signifikant boost til hele markedet for CSP og grøn energilagring, siger Peder Badstue Jensen, der er divisionsdirektør hos Aalborg CSP.

Kontakt:

• Thomas Steenberg, CEO, Copenhagen Atomics ApS
  25 67 62 32, thomas.steenberg@copenhagenatomics.com
   
• Jens Bomholt, presse- og mediechef, Innovationsfonden
  61 90 50 45, jens.bomholt@innofond.dk

Om partnerne:

Copenhagen Atomics Aps (CA)
CA is a Danish engineering company with solid experience in developing components necessary for Thorium energy research and molten salt applications. CA has unique know-how from development of an existing prototype molten salt pump for research purpose customers in academia and industry. CA is a direct beneficiary of the project. The end product is likely to ensure a unique market position through first-mover advantage as supplier of absolutely critical components for the whole sector.

Aalborg CSP A/S (ACSP)
ACSP is a leading Danish developer and supplier of innovative renewable technologies. ACSP has supplied equipment to some of the most efficient concentrated solar power (CSP) projects world-wide. ACSP will use its deep knowledge of steam conversion from fluids from CSP, and the CSP market to establish detailed requirements and specifications for a high temperature CSP pump, including interface and scaling. ACSP stands to gain a significant competitive advantage from adding hi-temp technology.

Alfa Laval Copenhagen A/S (AL)
AL is a major heavy industry company, with one of its three divisions being ‘Energy’. AL will use its world-class expertise in prototyping and production of high-grade steel machinery to guide development of the pump systems, ensuring that they can progress to production. AL is also co-owner of the molten salt energy storage company ‘Malta’. AL is a potential beneficiary, as investments may follow with regards to entering production and sales in a new market area as well as through ‘Malta’.

DTU Skylab
Skylab is DTU’s innovation hub, with company collaboration as a core competence. Skylab facilitates rapid prototyping and is the project’s gateway to a vast array of specialized testing know-how, equipment and facilities available at DTU as a whole. Skylab is the original incubator Alma Mater of CA, and a continued collaboration with CA strengthens Skylab’s goal of successful collaboration between, start-ups, academia and industry, including to the benefit of current in-house start-ups.

Sintex A/S
Sintex is an independent company in the Grundfos group, specializing in powder metal applications. This includes magnetic composites and magnetic couplings. Sintex’ know-how in these areas, and two decades of experience developing solutions for the pump industry, will be especially vital for the development of moving parts in the molten salt pump technology. Sintex will gain as a subcontractor to the final product and from developing new technology applicable in other high-temperature markets.

SiOx Aps
Is a Danish engineering company specializing in silicon oxide coatings. SiOx has solid experience from working with AL on coatings, which prevent scaling in heat exchangers, significantly improving long-term performance. The project will use SiOx’ know how to build the necessary robustness and longevity into the pump technology as this, likewise, can only be obtained for molten salt systems with optimal surface coating technology. SiOx will gain from being a subcontractor to the final product.