Quidnet Energy and Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA), with funding from the Government of Alberta, Canada, have launched a project to develop a multi-gigawatt geologic energy storage resource in Alberta, utilizing Quidnet’s modular pumped hydro storage technology.
Quidnet’s Geomechanical Pumped Storage (GPS) technology stores energy in the form of water compressed between layers of shale and enables renewable energy projects to store excess energy for extended periods of time, to be released when the grid needs power. Quidnet’s technology provides balance to the grid and optimizes utilization of transmission infrastructure for delivering renewable generation to load centers for grid decarbonization, the company said.
The Alberta project is a key part of Quidnet’s mission to accelerate decarbonization by developing and deploying similar-scaled geologic storage resources in major wholesale electricity markets throughout North America. The project has received US$5 million in funding from ERA and will take place at Quidnet’s geologic test site in Brooks, Alberta.
“Renewable power resources, such as solar projects, work best when their output can be stored until the grid needs it. Quidnet Energy’s modular pumped storage technology provides the long-duration energy storage that can make widespread use of renewable resources reliable and effective,” said Joe Zhou, CEO at Quidnet Energy. “We are proud to be working with visionary partners like Emission Reductions Alberta to demonstrate the ways Quidnet’s technology can enable solar and other renewable resources to supply emission-free electricity to Alberta and the electric system across North America.”
Quidnet is developing energy storage projects in Texas, Ohio, and New York State, demonstrating its GPS technology. The Quidnet Energy systems can be configured for applications with 10-hours or more of storage duration. The modular design allows it to be scaled to the needs of specific projects and built on a diverse array of terrain.
“Quidnet’s GPS technology is a novel form of hydroelectric energy storage. It uses time-tested well drilling and construction technologies to pump water under pressure into subsurface geologic formations to store energy,” said Zhou. “When the stored energy is needed, the water is released to drive hydroelectric turbines to power the electric grid.”
Headquartered in Houston with offices in San Francisco and Saratoga Springs, Quidnet’s patented GPS technology utilizes excess renewable energy to store water beneath ground under pressure. When renewable energy is not producing, this pressurized water drives hydroelectric turbines producing electricity to support the grid.
ERA has been investing the revenues from the carbon price paid by large final emitters to accelerate the development and adoption of innovative clean technology solutions for more than 10 years. Since ERA was established in 2009, it has committed US$646 million toward 204 projects worth US$4.5 billion that are helping to reduce greenhouse gases.
