Thermohaline energy geo-storage: evaluation of fluid–fluid layers and fluid–rock salt interaction

Abstract

The storage of power to cover the partial seasonal requirements of larger urban or industrial regions requires storage capacities in the GWh range. Current technologies are site-dependent and area-wide designable, as well as being cost-inefficient. An innovative concept for large-scale energy storage based on a thermohaline base is presented in this article. In particular, the fluid and solid interfaces are a focus of the geomechanical investigations. Besides the principal thermal application study and rock salt removal gradient, a high-frequency electromagnetic open-ended coaxial measurement was carried out to analyse temperature and concentration distribution and dependencies.