Project No. 5: Evaluating Dredged Materials for Energy Storage Applications with Economic and Carbon Benefits

Summary

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and New York Power Authority (NYPA) collaborated on Project No. 5 to evaluate reusing dredged materials for energy storage, aiming to address the high costs and environmental impact of annual sediment disposal. NYPA's Canal Corporation dredges approximately 280,000 cubic yards of sediment annually, and its disposal sites are nearing capacity. Phase 1 of the project, now completed, characterized two types of dredged materials, finding them suitable for thermal energy storage up to 1000 °C, with an average specific heat capacity of 0.85 J/g-K. A preliminary techno-economic analysis projected that utilizing these materials for a 12.98 MW thermal energy storage system could generate an annual combined profit of $8,526,261, achieve a Net Present Value of $63,025,157 over 30 years, and a payback period of 2.04 years. This approach offers significant economic advantages compared to the $25.47 million annual cost of disposal and substantial carbon emission reductions, avoiding 0.05 tons of CO2 per ton of wet sediment.

Key Facts

Source Document

https://example-government.gov/policy-document-link