Marques-Valderrama A. , Guisado J.M. , Marques-Valderrama I. , ORTIZ DOMÍNGUEZ, CARLOS, Chacartegui R.
No
Energy
Article
Científica
1
1
01/01/2026
001816123700001
2-s2.0-105043179038
Hard-to-abate industries with medium- and high-temperature heat demand require innovative solutions to defossilise processes and integrate variable renewable energy. This work presents the preliminary assessment of a modular thermochemical energy storage (TCES) system based on calcium looping enhanced with alkaline salts. The addition of molten salts mitigates sorbent deactivation, improves gas–solid interaction, and provides extra sensible heat, enabling power-to-heat conversion and flexible integration with photovoltaic generation.A techno-economic analysis and annual performance evaluation were conducted using a quasi-steady-state model, complemented by a sensitivity study comparing configurations with and without salt addition. Results show that the system can supply up to 89% of industrial steam demand, with a levelized storage cost of 90–200 €/MWh and an energy density of ~1 GJ/m3. Salt addition increases chemical storage potential by 58%, significantly improving long-term performance compared to conventional CaL systems. Several configurations varying energy source capacity, number of modules, and heat demand were analysed to identify pathways for cost reduction and operational optimisation.These findings position the proposed modular TCES concept as a promising strategy for industrial decarbonisation, combining material improvements with system-level flexibility to accelerate the integration of renewable energy in hard-to-abate sectors. © 2026 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Cost reduction; Economic analysis; Heat storage; Integration; Storage (materials); Calcium looping; Hard-to-abate; Heat demands; Heat integration; Hybrid energy storage; Modulars; Power; Power-to-heat; Salt addition; Thermochemical energy storage; alternative energy; calcium; economic analysis; energy storage; optimization; photovoltaic system; thermochemistry; Alkalinity