Sumitomo SHI FW collaborates with SPERI, a subsidiary of the Chinese energy powerhouse SPIC, on Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) to enable China’s transition to Carbon Neutrality by 2060

Global energy technology leader Sumitomo SHI FW (SFW) has entered into a collaboration agreement with China's Shanghai Power Equipment Research Institute (SPERI) for evaluating the feasibility of LDES utilizing liquified air energy storage CRYOBattery^TM technology.

(Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Collaboration involves conducting a study with two configurations, a four (4) and an eight (8) hour storage, to determine the optimal size for the Binhai Power Station Energy Storage Demo project in Binhai Jiangsu, China. Both configurations consider 50MW discharge power capacity.

The planned Liquified Air Energy Storage system (LAES) will shift energy, reduce curtailment, and maintain system flexibility to allow renewable generation integration and growth. In addition, the system can provide a transmission and distribution network, helping China's national grid improve and maintain grid stability.

SPERI, a subsidiary of State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC), has been designated as the development center for Energy Storage technologies to help China meet its carbon neutrality target by 2060. SPIC is one of China's five national generation groups with an installed capacity of 190 GW, of which 74 GW is solar PV and wind power.

"We are pleased to engage with Sumitomo SHI FW for this important demonstration study of LDES which is the cornerstone of China's energy transition plan to be carbon neutral by 2060," said Mr. Chen Honghai, President, SPERI.

In 2021, China announced a plan to deploy 30 GW of grid-scale energy storage and a target for renewable power to account for over half of the total installed capacity by 2025.

SFW is well-positioned to partner with SPERI, focusing on Liquified Air Energy Storage and other energy technology solutions to combat climate change. SFW has been present in China since 1993, with almost 500 employees providing engineering, project management, procurement, and manufacturing services to projects globally.

"Long Duration Energy Storage is emerging as a critical need for electric grids to become 100% renewable. This collaboration with SPERI is an important step towards making this a reality," says Tom Steitz, Senior Vice President of Energy Storage for SFW.