Technology Maturity
- Hydrogen: Currently produced primarily from fossil fuels, with green hydrogen (via electrolysis) still in early commercial stages. Hydrogen-to-power systems (e.g., via turbines/fuel cells) are less mature than established LDES technologies.
- Other LDES: Pumped hydro storage (PHS) dominates existing capacity (over 90% globally) but faces decade-long development cycles. Emerging LDES like compressed air, thermal storage, and flow batteries are modular and faster to deploy.
Discharge Duration & Output
- Hydrogen: Ideal for seasonal storage (days to months) and cross-sector integration (e.g., industrial heat, transport). However, electrolysis and reconversion to electricity remain energy-inefficient compared to direct storage.
- Other LDES:
- PHS: Output limited to hours or days, constrained by geography in traditional designs.
- Thermal: Can provide both heat and electricity, but high-temperature systems for power generation are less mature.
- Flow batteries: Typically 8-12 hours duration, with newer chemistries targeting multi-day storage.
Scalability & Flexibility
- Hydrogen: Highly scalable for hydrogen production infrastructure, but reconversion to power requires separate turbine/fuel-cell systems.
- Other LDES: Modular designs (e.g., flow batteries, compressed air) allow independent scaling of power and energy capacity. Most technologies avoid geographical constraints except PHS.
Cost & Deployment Speed
- Hydrogen: High upfront costs for electrolyzers and storage tanks, with reconversion losses adding to expenses.
- Other LDES: Lower levelized costs for storage-dominant applications (e.g., $50-100/MWh for compressed air vs. hydrogen’s $100-300/MWh range). Pre-commercial technologies like gravity storage offer faster deployment timelines than hydrogen.
Applications Beyond Electricity
- Hydrogen: Unique ability to decarbonize heavy industries (steel, chemicals) and transport.
- Other LDES: Most focus on electricity grids, though thermal storage can also supply industrial heat.
Key Trade-off: Hydrogen excels in cross-sector decarbonization and ultra-long storage but lags in round-trip efficiency and cost for electricity-specific use. Modular LDES technologies are better suited for near-term grid balancing.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/how-do-hydrogen-based-solutions-compare-to-other-ldes-technologies/
