The Anonymous Widower

Europe’s Mines Look To Gravity Energy Storage For Green Future

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Global Mining Review.

This is the sub-heading.

Mine owners across Europe are looking at a new form of underground energy storage to offer a low carbon future as operations wind down.

These are the first four paragraphs.

Active deep mine operators in Slovenia, Germany, The Czech Republic and Finland are all examining how underground gravity energy storage – provided by Edinburgh firm Gravitricity – could offer green opportunities to mining communities facing a downturn in employment.

Gravitricity has developed a unique energy storage system, known as GraviStore, which uses heavy weights – totalling up to 12 000 t – suspended in a deep shaft by cables attached to winches.

This offers a viable alternative future to end of life mine shafts, which otherwise face costly infilling and mine decommissioning costs.

They have teamed up with energy multinational and winch specialist ABB alongside worldwide lifting specialists Huisman to commercialise the technology for mine operators.

Note.

1. Four projects are mentioned.
2. It appears to be less costly, than infilling.
3. Gravitricity have teamed with ABB and Huisman, who are two of Europe’s specialist in this field.
4. You can’t have too much energy storage.

The article is worth a full read.

Conclusion

Gravitricity’s simple idea could be a big winner.

May 14, 2024 - Posted by AnonW | Energy, Energy Storage | ABB, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Gravitricity, Huisman, Slovenia