JCA Eni ENEA Project: CSP & Thermal Storage

Abstract

This project is framed inside a three-year-long cooperation between Eni and ENEA. It concerns the development of prototypes, technologies, innovative processes, feasibility studies, scenario analysis, exchanging skills, and know-how. This is coherent with the promotion of joint initiatives in the field of energy production, from renewable sources and those with low CO₂ emissions, supercomputing, superconductivity, and circular economy, including innovative processes for waste valorisation and production of biogas, biomethane and biochar. The “CSP & Thermal Storage” has the ambition to exploit solar sources to produce thermal energy according to the energy demand, regardless of the availability of the solar source, through the development of innovative solutions of plants with a programmable production capacity, through the coupling with innovative Thermal Energy Storage (TES) solutions. The objectives of this project are the identification of contexts for using Concentrating Solar Power / Concentrating Solar Heat (CSP/CSH) technology and thermal generation systems coupled to TES, the definition of the "business plan" for the enhancement of these technologies, the identification of partnerships with national and international subjects for the design of industrial solutions in the identified contexts of interest, and the joint participation in competitive tenders through research and development projects that can also lead to the creation, characterisation, and validation of prototype units. As for the energy storage, dynamic modelling of the thermocline and Phase Change Materials (PCM) storage systems is also expected, together with a broad-spectrum analysis of possible applications of CSP/CSH coupled with TES along the entire industrial energy supply chain (e.g.: upstream, downstream, power generation). Of particular importance is the development of TES prototypes to be tested on a molten salt-operated circuit integrating two different PCM systems with an Eni proprietary innovative thermocline TES based on concrete, to facilitate the management of the system and to supply high-quality heat to the user. This system consists of a module able to store 40 kWh of thermal energy by phase change materials (PCM), followed by a concrete module of about 150 kWh and another 40 kWh PCM TES with a higher phase change temperature. The overall operating temperature range of the system is 290÷450°C.