Study evaluates the feasibility of batteries and hydrogen for solar energy storage in Brazil
- Jun 2
- 1 min read
The expansion of solar photovoltaic generation is transforming the Brazilian electricity matrix, but it also increases the challenge of storing energy efficiently to ensure system stability. In this context, a study developed at the State University of Campinas analyzed, from technical and economic perspectives, two strategic technologies for the future of the energy transition: lithium-ion batteries and storage systems based on renewable hydrogen. The research was conducted in a pilot plant installed at the Porto Primavera Hydroelectric Power Plant, operated by CESP.
Hydrogen shows potential for long-term storage
The results demonstrate that battery-based systems showed greater energy efficiency, reaching rates above 86% in both peak dispatch operations and load leveling. The renewable hydrogen-based system, composed of an electrolyzer, storage tank, and fuel cells, registered an efficiency close to 19%. Despite this difference, the economic analysis revealed a more complex scenario: both systems showed better financial performance when used to supply energy during periods of higher tariff values.
The research also highlights that hydrogen storage requires a more sophisticated operational structure, involving knowledge of pressurized gases, refrigeration systems, and fuel cells, but reinforces that this technological route can play a fundamental role in the Power-to-Power concept, consolidating itself as one of the most promising alternatives to guarantee flexibility, energy security, and decarbonization of the Brazilian electricity matrix in the coming decades.
