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Malta Inc. and Duke Energy will assess the impacts of converting phased-out coal plants into energy storage systems.
- The study is set to be carried out at a Duke Energy Power Plant in North Carolina.
- The DoE has provided the grant for this study.
Malta Inc. and Duke Energy, with support from the United States Department of Energy (DoE), will conduct a one-year assessment of the socio-economic, environmental, and operational impacts of converting phased-out coal plants into energy storage systems. Both companies will integrate Malta’s 100 MW, 10-hour pumped heat energy storage system into the existing Duke Energy coal plant in North Carolina.
Malta’s storage system stores electricity from a power plant or the grid by converting the electricity into thermal energy, heat and cold. Heat is stored in molten salt and cold in an antifreeze-like solution.
When energy is needed, stored thermal energy powers an engine to generate energy, just like a conventional power plant. According to Malta, its system can store up to 200 hours of energy. This assessment study will focus on the current industry need for 10-12 hours of storage.
The DoE announced the grant in March, and the team is currently assessing which of Duke Energy’s six coal plants in North Carolina will serve as the test site. After the study is complete, the team will provide its findings, including an engineering conceptual study, a technology maturation plan, and a socio-economic report on potential benefits.