Large scale underground energy storage for renewables integration: general criteria for reservoir identification and viable technologies.

The increasing integration of renewable energies in the electricity grid contributes considerably to achieve the European Union goals on energy and Greenhouse Gases (GHG) emissions reduction. However, it also brings problems to grid management. Large scale energy storage can provide the means for a better integration of the renewable energy sources, for balancing supply and demand, to increase energy security, to enhance a better management of the grid and also to converge towards a low carbon economy. Geological formations have the potential to store large volumes of fluids with minimal impact to environment and society. One of the ways to ensure a large scale energy storage is to use the storage capacity in geological reservoir. In fact, there are several viable technologies for underground energy storage, as well as several types of underground reservoirs that can be considered. The geological energy storage technologies considered in this research were: Underground Gas Storage (UGS), Hydrogen Storage (HS), Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES), Underground Pumped Hydro Storage (UPHS) and Thermal Energy Storage (TES). For these different types of underground energy storage technologies there are several types of geological reservoirs that can be suitable, namely: depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs, aquifers, salt formations and caverns, engineered rock caverns and abandoned mines. Specific site screening criteria are applicable to each of these reservoir types and technologies, which determines the viability of the reservoir itself, and of the technology for any particular site. This paper presents a review of the criteria applied in the scope of the Portuguese contribution to the EU funded project ESTMAP – Energy Storage Mapping and Planning.

Les élèves portugais de l'École des mines de Paris

Nonobstant l’importance de l’exploitation des mines dans l’Empire portugais, la formation en ingénierie minière c’est développé tard dans le pays, ainsi pour surmonter la manque de formation en génie minier, le gouvernement a contracté avec des ingénieurs étrangers et au même temps plusieurs ingénieurs portugais ont complété sa formation à l’étranger. Dans ce texte, après une brève analyse des moyens par lesquels le gouvernent a essayé de créer une formation en mines et métallurgie au Portugal sont analysés les parcours professionnels de quelques ingénieurs portugais qui ont fréquenté l’École des mines de Paris.