Energy systems' memory functions during the shift towards renewable sources

The Kopernikus Project Ariadne, a research project focused on the energy transition, is being led by six renowned researchers in Potsdam, Germany. The project, headed by Wolf-Peter Schill, Anna Billerbeck, Alexander Burkhardt, Lion Hirth, Dana Kirchem, and Alexander Roth, aims to understand the role of storage in the energy transition.

Germany is aiming for climate neutrality and intends to use wind and solar energy as central sources. However, balancing daily and seasonal fluctuations in power supply and energy demand is a significant challenge in achieving this goal. Flexibility technologies are needed to manage these fluctuations effectively.

The project's focus is specifically on the role of storage in the energy transition. Flexibility technologies can be categorized into spatial (regional and international power exchange) and temporal (power, heat, hydrogen storage).

In Germany, there is already a wide range of short-term flexibility technologies, including battery and heat storage, and electric vehicles. Power, heat, and hydrogen storage can primarily serve temporal variability in energy demand and supply. Hydrogen storage, in particular, is considered an important part of long-term power storage by Ariadne researchers.

However, the market ramp-up for long-term storage technologies, such as hydrogen caverns, needs to be urgently addressed due to long lead times. A reform of the power market design and network charges is necessary to efficiently integrate storage into the energy system and make it financially attractive.

The Kopernikus Project Ariadne is not proposing or implementing solutions but is dedicated to understanding them. The background of the project can be read online or downloaded as a PDF. For those interested in learning more about this vital research, the project's title is the Kopernikus Project Ariadne.