Heat storage systems will play a central role in a sustainably transformed energy system. On the one hand, the demand for heat in Austria currently accounts for about 50 % of the energy demand and, on the other hand, heat can be stored much more cost-effectively than electricity from today’s point of view.
Activities in the field of large-scale heat storage have increased nationally and internationally in the last few years. In Austria, the research project gigaTES with 18 international partners from industry and research focused on further development of large-scale heat storage systems. Furthermore, as a result of technological developments at the material, component and design level new exciting implementations are expected.
At the international level, an expert working group was also launched last year under Austrian leadership supported by the International Energy Agency. In addition, there are a number of new large-scale construction projects national and internationally, like the heat storage facility of the Danish Fjernvarme Fyn with a volume of 1.05 million m³.
Read more about large-scale heat storages in the current issue of the magazine “sustainable technologies”.