China Switches On World’s Largest Compressed-Air Energy Storage Plant – 600 MW Deployed, No Lithium or Cobalt
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China has commissioned the world's largest compressed air energy storage (CAES) facility in Jiangsu Province.
The facility boasts a 600 MW capacity and 2.4 GWh storage. It uses underground salt caverns instead of lithium batteries for grid-scale energy storage.
The operational CAES plant shows that large-scale energy storage can be achieved without battery-critical minerals like lithium, cobalt, or nickel. This reduces supply chain pressure and geopolitical risks.
Independent reporting, such as from the Energy Institute, confirms the plant is fully grid-connected and operational, not a pilot or demonstration. The system consists of two 300 MW units that use underground salt caverns to store compressed air during periods of low electricity demand and release it to generate power during peak demand. Estimated annual output is approximately 790 GWh, contributing to peak shaving, frequency regulation, and renewable integration across the regional grid.
Source: Wiklipedia
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