Massive Electricity Storage for a Developed Economy of Ten Billion People

摘要: Presently, America’s average electrical power consumption is $\sim 1.3$ kW/p; in the world as a whole, it 0.33$ kW/p. If, for 2050, goal of 1 kW/p adopted, this implies an electric draw GW each population cohort 000 residents; and Earth will have $ 10 such cohorts. Multi-hour outages are already common; demand peaks daily; renewable generation intermittent. Hence, hedge against rare supply failures, would profit from local backup storage electricity/energy order 1–2 GWd. For comparison, biggest electrochemical scheme yet seriously proposed contain 240$ MWh, while even largest pumped hydro reservoirs <50 GWh. In approximately 50 years, when fossil fuels become scarce, we should constructed bulk storage. This review argues that principal contenders electricity are: 1) flow batteries; 2) chemical agents, ammonia, hydrogen, methanol, or light hydrocarbons; 3) compressed air energy storage; 4) underground hydro. Finally, argue not one these four has been built, tested, perfected, virtually none needed capacity exists today.