Energy and Economic Evaluation of a Hybrid Power Plant With Wind Turbines and Compressed Air Energy Storage

Abstract

A model of a Hybrid Power Plant (HPP) consisting of Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) coupled with a wind farm is presented. This kind of plant aims at overcoming some of the major limitations of wind-generated power plants, including low power density and an intermittent nature owing to variable weather conditions. In CAES, energy is stored in the form of compressed air in a reservoir during off-peak periods and used on demand during peak periods to generate power with a turbo-generator system. Such plants can offer significant benefits in terms of flexibility in matching a fluctuating power demand, particularly when coupled with wind turbines. For the hybrid power plant considered in this study, results show that advantages in terms of economics, energy savings and CO2 mitigation can be achieved.