CAES: The Underground Portion

The storage of compressed air underground is a proven and acceptable technique. Solution mined salt caverns, hard rock conventionally mined caverns, and aquifers can be used to successfully store compressed air. This paper will review the experience of underground containers and will discuss the storage of compressed air for Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) type facilities. Since the technique of storing air is identical to storing natural gas, the successful long-term experience of natural gas storage projects will be reviewed.