{"id":545839,"date":"2023-01-31T12:26:17","date_gmt":"2023-01-31T09:26:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/inside-europes-high-tech-scramble-for-better-energy-storage\/"},"modified":"2023-01-31T12:26:17","modified_gmt":"2023-01-31T09:26:17","slug":"inside-europes-high-tech-scramble-for-better-energy-storage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/inside-europes-high-tech-scramble-for-better-energy-storage\/","title":{"rendered":"#Inside Europe\u2019s high-tech scramble for better energy storage"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2fcbf401eae\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2fcbf401eae\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/inside-europes-high-tech-scramble-for-better-energy-storage\/#%E2%80%9CInside_Europes_high-tech_scramble_for_better_energy_storage%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Inside Europe\u2019s high-tech scramble for better energy storage&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/inside-europes-high-tech-scramble-for-better-energy-storage\/#Get_your_tickets_for_TNW_Valencia_in_March\" >Get your tickets for TNW Val\u00e8ncia in March!<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/inside-europes-high-tech-scramble-for-better-energy-storage\/#The_heat_is_on\" >The heat is on<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/inside-europes-high-tech-scramble-for-better-energy-storage\/#Another_storage_method_drops\" >Another storage method drops<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CInside_Europes_high-tech_scramble_for_better_energy_storage%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Inside Europe\u2019s high-tech scramble for better energy storage&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div id=\"article-main-content\">\n                            <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A \u201cmetal sock\u201d in the ground stuffed full of hydrogen. Vats of scorching sand. Huge weights moving very, very slowly up and down old mineshafts. Is this the future of energy?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This menagerie of strange machines and heat-retaining vessels is poised to emerge across Europe as the continent seeks ways of storing the surplus energy produced by renewables. The UK, for example,<\/span> <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2022-06-08\/uk-wind-power-waste-leads-to-record-costs\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">wasted half a billion pounds\u2019 worth of wind energy<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in 2021 because it had nowhere to store it. Without such storage, electricity must be used at the very moment it is generated.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As<\/span> <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/windeurope.org\/newsroom\/news\/how-to-operate-wind-farms-under-the-clean-energy-package-rules\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">wind energy continues to go to waste<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> across Europe, the EU is spending record sums \u2013<\/span> <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/energy.ec.europa.eu\/news\/new-reports-highlight-3rd-quarter-impact-gas-supply-cuts-2023-01-13_en\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">billions of euros<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 on gas imports as it slashes its reliance on fossil fuels from Russia.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"inarticle-wrapper channel-cta\">\n<div class=\"ica-text\">\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Get_your_tickets_for_TNW_Valencia_in_March\"><\/span>Get your tickets for TNW Val\u00e8ncia in March!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>The heart of tech is coming to the heart of the Mediterranean<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe\u2019re at an inflexion point,\u201d says Dominic Walters, chief corporate affairs officer at Highview Power, a UK-based firm that is working on a means of storing energy as compressed air. \u201cThere is a need to accelerate everything everywhere,\u201d he adds, referring to the colourful array of energy storage projects currently at early stages of development in Europe.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Proponents of alternative energy storage technologies argue that lithium-ion batteries will only get us so far. Their production relies on mining, they don\u2019t have very long lifespans, and are arguably<\/span> <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eesi.org\/papers\/view\/energy-storage-2019\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">not ideal for storing energy longer than several hours<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIf we don\u2019t work out how to stabilise Europe\u2019s electricity grids soon, we\u2019ll come to regret it,\u201d says Jacopo Tosoni, head of policy at the European Association for Storage and Energy (EASE): \u201cYou <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a>ly have a risk of blackouts in 2030.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A scramble is now on to put the necessary storage <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a> in place so that energy can be kept ready and waiting until those moments when it is required.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_heat_is_on\"><\/span><b>The heat is on<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In an industrial corner of Kankaanp\u00e4\u00e4, Finland, a town home to around 12,000 people, <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rechargenews.com\/energy-transition\/logical-step-toward-combustion-free-heat-finns-launch-worlds-first-sand-based-energy-storage\/2-1-1253027\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">there is a seven metre-tall, dark grey silo full of sand<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Sand that can store energy in the form of heat.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOur year-round efficiency is about 90% for the system, so 10% losses, which is obviously quite good,\u201d says Tommi Eronen, chief executive and co-founder of Polar Night Energy, an eight-people-strong startup that\u2019s raised \u20ac1.25 million to date. Eronen described how the sand, heated to 600\u02daC using surplus electricity, will stay hot for months on end thanks to insulation lining the walls of the steel container. Pipes filled with hot air run through the sand in order to transfer heat in or out.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This sand battery is connected to a heat exchanger, says Eronen, so that operators can transfer thermal energy to district heating systems or, in possible future versions of the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a>, turbines for electricity generation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eronen explains that early versions of the firm\u2019s sand battery are relatively small in scale. The Kankaanp\u00e4\u00e4 unit offers 100kW of heating power, or a capacity of 8MWh, but Polar Night Energy is planning 100MW units and above, which could one day yield several GWh of juice. Such units would be around eight metres tall and 44 metres in diameter, a spokesman for Polar Night Energy says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Expect <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a> regarding the delivery of a 2MW version as early as this spring, adds Eronen.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1393841 js-lazy\" alt=\"Polar Night Energy heat storage unit\" width=\"1640\" height=\"1093\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1640px) 100vw, 1640px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Polar-Night-Energy-heat-storage-unit-Credit-Polar-Night-Energy.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Polar-Night-Energy-heat-storage-unit-Credit-Polar-Night-Energy.jpg 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Polar-Night-Energy-heat-storage-unit-Credit-Polar-Night-Energy-280x187.jpg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Polar-Night-Energy-heat-storage-unit-Credit-Polar-Night-Energy-203x135.jpg 203w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Polar-Night-Energy-heat-storage-unit-Credit-Polar-Night-Energy-405x270.jpg 405w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Polar-Night-Energy-heat-storage-unit-Credit-Polar-Night-Energy-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Polar-Night-Energy-heat-storage-unit-Credit-Polar-Night-Energy-796x531.jpg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Polar-Night-Energy-heat-storage-unit-Credit-Polar-Night-Energy-1592x1061.jpg 1592w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Ftech%2F2023%2F01%2F31%2Feurope-high-tech-scramble-for-better-energy-storage%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: Polar Night Energy heat storage unit. Image: Polar Night Energy\" data-title=\"Share Polar Night Energy heat storage unit. Image: Polar Night Energy on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share Polar Night Energy heat storage unit. Image: Polar Night Energy on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>Polar Night Energy heat storage unit. Image: Polar Night Energy<\/figcaption><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1393841\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Polar-Night-Energy-heat-storage-unit-Credit-Polar-Night-Energy.jpg\" alt=\"Polar Night Energy heat storage unit\" width=\"1640\" height=\"1093\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Polar-Night-Energy-heat-storage-unit-Credit-Polar-Night-Energy.jpg 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Polar-Night-Energy-heat-storage-unit-Credit-Polar-Night-Energy-280x187.jpg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Polar-Night-Energy-heat-storage-unit-Credit-Polar-Night-Energy-203x135.jpg 203w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Polar-Night-Energy-heat-storage-unit-Credit-Polar-Night-Energy-405x270.jpg 405w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Polar-Night-Energy-heat-storage-unit-Credit-Polar-Night-Energy-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Polar-Night-Energy-heat-storage-unit-Credit-Polar-Night-Energy-796x531.jpg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Polar-Night-Energy-heat-storage-unit-Credit-Polar-Night-Energy-1592x1061.jpg 1592w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the Netherlands, GroeneWarmte is working on a different kind of thermal energy store called Ecovat, which uses water heated to temperatures up to 95\u02daC instead of the much hotter sand chosen by Polar Night Energy. \u201cIt basically just stores water in a big underground tank,\u201d says project engineer Marijn van den Heuvel. \u201cIt\u2019s a very large thermos.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s a bit more construction required in setting this system up, though. The concrete \u201cthermos\u201d<\/span> <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=baV6a1L3IqY\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">must be carefully installed<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in a huge, cylindrical hole in the ground. But after that, it can be covered over and the storage works in a similar way to Polar Night Energy\u2019s design. The warmth the vessel cradles, for several months if necessary, would be transferred via heat exchangers to district heating systems. Van den Heuvel says GroeneWarmte with its team of eight people is engaging with a Danish company on a possible first deployment of this technology.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>roaches are fairly new, but Highview Power is already building a 50MW facility in Carrington, England, where energy is to be<\/span> <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=kDvlh_aG7iA\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">stored in the form of compressed air<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The site will form a mind-boggling array of silos, pipework and platforms bunched together. It will comprise thermal and cold storage units and containers for the compressed air itself.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe filter it so effectively it is clean air, that air is liquefied, and then we cryogenically freeze it,\u201d explains Walters, referring to the process in which air is <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/highviewpower.com\/news_announcement\/highview-power-and-encore-renewable-energy-to-co-develop-the-first-long-duration-liquid-air-energy-storage-system-in-the-united-states\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">chilled to nearly -200\u02daC<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. By heating this very cold, compressed air later, it turns back into a gas and expands, and can be used to power a turbine, throwing electricity back to the grid. The system achieves an efficiency of 55-65%, which Highview says is comparable to other storage technologies. One of the benefits of this approach is that the technology should have a multi-decadal lifespan, much longer than lithium ion batteries, so governments might be able to plan around such infrastructure more easily.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Walters says the Carrington site should go live by the end of 2024. At the moment, the 55-people company is raising a \u00a3400-million funding round, and is planning a further 19 installations around the UK. It ultimately aims to supply 4GW, or 20%, of the UK\u2019s expected energy storage needs by 2035.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1393843 js-lazy\" alt=\"Ecovat energy storage system\" width=\"1640\" height=\"923\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1640px) 100vw, 1640px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Ecovat-Credit-GroeneWarmte.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Ecovat-Credit-GroeneWarmte.jpg 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Ecovat-Credit-GroeneWarmte-280x158.jpg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Ecovat-Credit-GroeneWarmte-240x135.jpg 240w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Ecovat-Credit-GroeneWarmte-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Ecovat-Credit-GroeneWarmte-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Ecovat-Credit-GroeneWarmte-796x448.jpg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Ecovat-Credit-GroeneWarmte-1592x896.jpg 1592w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Ecovat-Credit-GroeneWarmte-1200x675.jpg 1200w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Ftech%2F2023%2F01%2F31%2Feurope-high-tech-scramble-for-better-energy-storage%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: This is the Ecovat. Image: GroeneWarmte\" data-title=\"Share This is the Ecovat. Image: GroeneWarmte on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share This is the Ecovat. Image: GroeneWarmte on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>This is the Ecovat. Image: GroeneWarmte<\/figcaption><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1393843\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Ecovat-Credit-GroeneWarmte.jpg\" alt=\"Ecovat energy storage system\" width=\"1640\" height=\"923\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Ecovat-Credit-GroeneWarmte.jpg 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Ecovat-Credit-GroeneWarmte-280x158.jpg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Ecovat-Credit-GroeneWarmte-240x135.jpg 240w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Ecovat-Credit-GroeneWarmte-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Ecovat-Credit-GroeneWarmte-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Ecovat-Credit-GroeneWarmte-796x448.jpg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Ecovat-Credit-GroeneWarmte-1592x896.jpg 1592w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Ecovat-Credit-GroeneWarmte-1200x675.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Another_storage_method_drops\"><\/span><b>Another storage method drops<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Perhaps the simplest concept of all currently vying for its place in the energy storage landscape of the future is the gravity battery. Most of us learned about \u201cpotential energy\u201d at school. Arguably, there is no better illustration of that than a big weight, held aloft, just itching to give in to gravity and fall to the floor. By attaching cables to such a weight \u2013 literally harnessing it \u2013 it is possible to slow its descent right down to about one metre per second and use the pulling force it exerts to generate electricity via a turbine.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gravitricity\u2019s approach in this vein, to begin with at least, is to lower its weights hundreds of metres down disused mine shafts with the help of a guiding mechanism. The company, which employs 17 people, has so far raised \u00a37.5 million to make its vision a reality.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIf it were swinging around the place, very soon you\u2019d get the shaft caving in on itself, which is obviously not what we\u2019d want,\u201d explains commercial director Robin Lane. A single weight might provide 4-8MW of power, he estimates, and could be calibrated to provide energy for a particular time period, say 15 minutes or an hour. Imagine a system where multiple weights are ready to descend, one after the other, in a carefully synchronised sequence so that electricity can be generated at a steady rate. Early commercial systems will use a combination of large weights totalling 1,000 tonnes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lane admits that this approach can\u2019t yet compete with lithium ion batteries on a cost per MW basis but he argues gravity batteries will be commercially competitive eventually. Plus, it ought to be possible to hoist and lower weights again and again for many years with little impact on the integrity of the system. Lithium ion batteries, on the other hand, have<\/span> <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.energy-storage.news\/is-that-battery-cycle-worth-it-maximising-energy-storage-lifecycle-value-with-advanced-controls\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">stricter limitations in terms of cycling<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another firm, Energy Vault, which employs 150 people, is also pursuing gravity battery technology. It has raised approximately $410m in funding to date.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1393845 js-lazy\" alt=\"Gravitricity Multi Weight energy storage system\" width=\"1024\" height=\"618\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Gravitricity-Multi-Weight.jpeg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Gravitricity-Multi-Weight.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Gravitricity-Multi-Weight-280x169.jpeg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Gravitricity-Multi-Weight-224x135.jpeg 224w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Gravitricity-Multi-Weight-447x270.jpeg 447w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Gravitricity-Multi-Weight-796x480.jpeg 796w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Ftech%2F2023%2F01%2F31%2Feurope-high-tech-scramble-for-better-energy-storage%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: This is an image of Gravitricity\u2019s \u201cmulti-weight\u201d gravity based energy storage system. Image: Gravitricity\" data-title=\"Share This is an image of Gravitricity\u2019s \u201cmulti-weight\u201d gravity based energy storage system. Image: Gravitricity on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share This is an image of Gravitricity\u2019s \u201cmulti-weight\u201d gravity based energy storage system. Image: Gravitricity on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>This is an image of Gravitricity\u2019s \u201cmulti-weight\u201d gravity based energy storage system. Image: Gravitricity<\/figcaption><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1393845\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Gravitricity-Multi-Weight.jpeg\" alt=\"Gravitricity Multi Weight energy storage system\" width=\"1024\" height=\"618\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Gravitricity-Multi-Weight.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Gravitricity-Multi-Weight-280x169.jpeg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Gravitricity-Multi-Weight-224x135.jpeg 224w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Gravitricity-Multi-Weight-447x270.jpeg 447w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/Gravitricity-Multi-Weight-796x480.jpeg 796w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gravitricity is also exploring completely different ways of secreting energy in old mine shafts, such as lining them with metal and turning them into hydrogen storage units.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt\u2019s a metal sock, which you would lower into the shaft, and then you would entomb that metal sock with a mixture of ballast, concrete and steel,\u201d says Lane. It potentially makes it easier and cheaper to store hydrogen at high pressures than above ground, since the container can rely on the existing geology of the shaft for structural support. The hydrogen could come from electrolysers linked to wind farms and use surplus energy to produce the gas from water.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For Tosoni, the diversity of the storage projects emerging in Europe is heartening, given the expected energy requirements that countries will face in the coming years. But less important than choosing one technology over another is the financing and political strategies needed to scale any of them up.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe big issue is funding,\u201d he says, noting the wariness of some investors. Governments could help, he suggests, by setting more ambitious targets for the establishment of energy storage facilities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eronen, in general, is optimistic about the future and notes that Polar Night Energy is embarking on a new 5-10m euro funding round. But it remains frustrating to witness the present energy crisis in Europe today, knowing that, even with the best will in the world, these systems aren\u2019t quite ready for primetime just yet.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt feels so bad,\u201d he says. \u201cWe see the crisis now and there\u2019s like no way that we can help.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to EASE, the current rate of storage added every year in Europe, 1GW, must boom to 14GW per year if the continent is to reach the 200GW total grid-scale storage capacity it\u2019s expected to require by 2030. So the push is certainly on.\u00a0<\/span>\n                        <\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/europe-high-tech-scramble-for-better-energy-storage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Inside Europe\u2019s high-tech scramble for better energy storage&#8221; A \u201cmetal sock\u201d in the ground stuffed full of hydrogen. Vats of scorching sand. Huge weights moving very, very slowly up and down old mineshafts. Is this the future of energy? This menagerie of strange machines and heat-retaining vessels is poised to emerge across Europe as the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":545840,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/tnw?filter_last=1&fit=1280,640&url=https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/01\/europe-energy-storage-solution.jpg&signature=11490db63f1c054199ecc1f11df52f09","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-545839","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/545839","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=545839"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/545839\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/545840"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=545839"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=545839"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=545839"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}