Press Release
Basic agreement on collaboration to promote technical demonstration of a plant using technology for rock thermal storage and energy management - Contribute to bridging the gap between electricity supply and demand caused by the expansion of renewable energy deployment -
November 13, 2024
Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation
Chubu Electric Power Co.,Inc.
Shin Tokai Paper Co., Ltd.
Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture
Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation ("Toshiba ESS"), Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc. ("Chubu Electric Power"), Shin Tokai Paper Co., Ltd. ("Shin Tokai Paper"), and Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture ("Shimada City") have reached a basic agreement to collaborate to install a plant using the technology for rock thermal storage and energy management ("Rock Thermal Storage EM Facility") at the Shimada Mill of Shin Tokai Paper (Shimada, Shizuoka Prefecture) and to promote a technical demonstration. The agreement on this collaboration is scheduled to be signed on November 25, 2024.
Toshiba ESS, Chubu Electric Power, and Shin Tokai Paper will manufacture the equipment by the end of FY2025 and conduct a demonstration test of the technology using the equipment in FY2026 ("the technology demonstration test"). Shimada City, as a local government, will support the technology demonstration test. The technology demonstration test was selected by the Ministry of the Environment for its FY2024 Technology Development and Demonstration Project for Regional Symbiosis and Cross-Sectoral Carbon Neutrality.
The generation and consumption of electricity occur simultaneously, so the two must always be matched, and if this balance is lost, a blackout will occur in the worst situation. In order to prevent blackouts, the output of natural variable power sources (solar and wind power) may be suppressed based on the priority dispatch rules (Note 1) established by the national government and the Organization for Cross-regional Coordination of Transmission Operators. In recent years, the expansion of the introduction of renewable energy sources, primarily natural variable power sources, has led to a widening gap between electricity supply and demand during periods such as spring and autumn, when electricity consumption is low, and the output suppression of natural variable power sources has increased, which has become an issue.
In order to solve this issue, attention has been given to a technology that achieves stable energy supply and efficient energy use by storing excess electricity as thermal energy in thermal storage materials such as rock, molten salt, and concrete, and providing heat or generating electricity as needed ("thermal energy storage technology"). In particular, the rock thermal storage technology on which the demonstration test will be conducted is expected to be highly superior in terms of environmental friendliness, economic efficiency, and equipment reliability.
Toshiba ESS, Chubu Electric Power, and Shin Tokai Paper will install Japan's first megawatt-hour class (heat capacity of approximately 10 megawatt-hours (Note 2)) Rock Thermal Storage EM Facility at Shin Tokai Paper's Shimada Mill to conduct the technology demonstration test. In this facility, electric heaters are activated by electricity from the Shimada Mill, and the heat is stored in a thermal storage tank made of rock thermal storage material. The stored heat will be used at the Mill as it is at the optimum time or converted to electricity by utilizing Toshiba ESS's energy management technology. The technology demonstration test will also include an evaluation of the operability of Rock Thermal Storage EM Facility for the utilization of surplus electricity.
Toshiba ESS and Chubu Electric Power have focused on rock thermal storage technology, which is expected to be highly superior as a thermal energy storage technology, and have conducted joint research. In 2022, the two companies developed a test facility for a rock thermal storage system with a heat capacity of approximately 500 kilowatt-hours and conducted a full-scale technical development and demonstration test within the Yokohama Complex of Toshiba Corporation. Through this demonstration test, data on the thermal characteristics of the heat storage and release of rock thermal storage technology was obtained, and a heat storage and release prediction method was developed, which is important for the design of systems that combine rock thermal storage and energy management.
Shin Tokai Paper has been promoting efforts to decarbonize its operations, including the use of biomass system fuels during paper production. This time, Shin Tokai Paper decided to participate in the technology demonstration test because it believes that thermal energy storage technology is effective in resolving the issue of balancing the demand and supply of electricity in its factories.
Shimada City agrees with the technical verification of rock thermal storage for efficient energy use, and assuming the introduction of Rock Thermal Storage EM Facility to Shimada City, will conduct simulation verification of energy management regarding the energy balance and CO2 reduction effect in the city.
Through the basic agreement on this collaboration and the technology demonstration test, the four parties will accelerate efforts toward the practical application of rock thermal storage technology in order to help bridge the gap between electricity supply and demand, which has become an issue due to the expansion of renewable energy.
(Note 1) Rules that specify the conditions and order of output control for power sources in operation, etc., in response to fluctuations in consumption and other factors, in order to achieve a balance between power generation and consumption.
(Note 2) It is the first megawatt-hour-class facility in Japan using rock thermal storage technology, which is equivalent to the daily electricity consumption of approximately 880 households. (according to the four parties).
Role of each party
Toshiba ESS |
Overall coordination of the technical demonstration, and design, manufacturing, construction, and trial operation of the entire Rock Thermal Storage EM Facility |
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Chubu Electric Power |
Design and construction of thermal storage tanks for Rock Thermal Storage EM Facility, design and construction of facility foundations, and market research |
Shin Tokai Paper |
Operation verification of Rock Thermal Storage EM Facility and study and construction of modification of existing plant power facilities |
Shimada City |
Simulation verification of energy management in terms of energy balance and CO2 reduction effect in Shimada City, assuming the introduction of rock thermal storage in the city. |