The Pyhäsalmi mine in central Finland, one of the deepest metal mines in Europe, is to be turned into a giant gravity battery capable of storing 2 megawatts of energy.
As the planet transitions to renewable energy, we are faced with storage challenges. The problem is that when people want to consume electricity, the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine. Excess electricity can be generated, especially on windy or sunny days, leading to a situation where consumers are rewarded for consuming electricity rather than overloading the grid. Masu. But power that is not used is lost.
Of course, it would be better if you could save that energy for later use. Gravity batteries are one way to do that.
Despite the cool name, the idea behind gravity batteries is very simple. When an energy source is producing more energy than demand, the excess energy is used to move a weight (in the form of water or sometimes sand) upwards and convert it into potential energy. When the power supply drops, these objects are released and power turbines as our good friend (and deadly enemy) gravity sends them towards Earth.
Gravity batteries generally take the form of reservoirs, but abandoned mines have also been suggested that move sand or other weights when surplus power is generated. Scottish company Gravitricity has developed a winch and hoist system that can be installed in such abandoned mines. The company plans to install the system at a 1,400 meter (4,600 ft) deep zinc and copper mine in Pihajärvi, Finland.
“As the world generates more electricity from intermittent renewable energy sources, there is a growing need for technologies that can capture and store energy during periods of low demand and quickly release it when needed.” said Gravitricity co-founder Martin Wright about the technology late. last year.
“Our GraviStore underground gravity energy storage facility harnesses gravity to deliver the best properties of lithium-ion batteries and pumped hydropower at a lower cost and without any rare earth metals.”