Yunnan becomes the first location in the southwest region to host a high-altitude salt cavern energy storage project

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On October 28, the 350MW salt cavern compressed air energy storage demonstration project of Yunnan Nengtou Group in Anning, Kunming, officially commenced construction in Anning City. As the first high-altitude mountain salt cavern compressed air energy storage project in the southwest region, this project has a total investment of 1.872 billion yuan. It is a key project in Yunnan Province’s efforts to implement the **\"dual carbon\" strategy and develop a new type of power system. It will fill the gap in long-duration physical energy storage technologies in the province, providing a \"Yunnan solution\" for the utilization of new energy sources in high-altitude areas and the stable operation of power grids. The project is located at the Kunming Salt Mine, where four retired salt caverns are innovatively utilized as energy storage mediums. The design operating pressure ranges from 7 MPa to 9 MPa, with a capacity of 350 MW/1750 MWh. An advanced adiabatic, non-reburning compressed air energy storage system designed for high-altitude areas is used to enable flexible regulation through the principle of \"storing energy during off-peak times and releasing it during peak times\": at night, when electricity demand is low, excess green energy is utilized to drive compressors that compress air for storage in salt caverns ； During peak electricity demand or fluctuations in renewable energy generation, high-pressure air is released to drive the turbine for power production. It can store 1.75 million kWh of energy per charge, with a storage duration of 8 hours. The system undergoes 300 charging and discharging cycles per year, resulting in no less than 1,500 hours of operation, and the annual power generation amount reaches 525 million kWh. The project includes the construction of an air compression system, a turbine power generation system, a heat storage and exchange system, as well as a 220kV step-up substation. It is connected to the Kunming Pujie Substation via 42 kilometers of transmission lines, thereby becoming fully integrated into Yunnan’s power grid dispatch system. Once completed and put into operation in the first half of 2027, it is expected to perform various functions such as peak shaving, frequency regulation, and black start, serving as a \"stabilizer\" to ensure the safety of the power grid.