Gas type comparison

A comparison of three gas types, namely compressed air, natural gas, and hydrogen gas, is conducted for storage in an LRC with characteristics representative of the Skallen project (i.e. geometrical volume of 40 000 m³, 13–17% cushion gas and one-month storage cycle).

Although the stored mass of hydrogen gas is significantly lower than that of the other options, its volume at standard conditions is only marginally smaller.

The energy capacity of working gas for natural gas is much larger than the other gases, but its round-trip efficiency for electricity conversion is low and its CO₂ emissions carry added complexity for carbon capture.

Despite significant differences in output energy and conversion efficiency, all three options have potential, but selection depends on, e.g., end-use needs, available infrastructure, permitting, and grid-service requirements.