{"id":615559,"date":"2024-04-04T14:26:09","date_gmt":"2024-04-04T11:26:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/startup-secures-e7-6m-for-sand-battery-that-can-heat-a-small-town\/"},"modified":"2024-04-04T14:26:09","modified_gmt":"2024-04-04T11:26:09","slug":"startup-secures-e7-6m-for-sand-battery-that-can-heat-a-small-town","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/startup-secures-e7-6m-for-sand-battery-that-can-heat-a-small-town\/","title":{"rendered":"#Startup secures \u20ac7.6M for sand battery that can heat a small town"},"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-6a32d42a6698c\" 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-6a32d42a6698c\" 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-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/startup-secures-e7-6m-for-sand-battery-that-can-heat-a-small-town\/#How_does_the_sand_battery_work\" >How does the sand battery work?\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/startup-secures-e7-6m-for-sand-battery-that-can-heat-a-small-town\/#An_alternative_to_lithium-ion\" >An alternative to lithium-ion?\u00a0<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div id=\"article-main-content\">\n                            <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Last month, Finnish startup Polar Night Energy announced that it is building a giant sand battery capable of heating<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> a town of 5,000 people for up to a month. That\u2019s on a single charge.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Polar Night is constructing the sand battery for the town of Pornainen in southern Finland. The system is expected to enable the town cut all oil use in its district heating network \u2014 slashing greenhouse gas emissions by 70%.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, Polar Night Energy has secured a sizable <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u20ac7.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6mn to scale its thermal energy storage tech. The startup\u2019s co-founder Markku Yl\u00f6nen said he was \u201cthrilled\u201d with the raise, particularly since we are in<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> one of history\u2019s<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">biggest downturns<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in VC funding.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThere\u2019s been considerable interest in our work, with investors recognising our potential,\u201d Yl\u00f6nen said.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"inarticle-wrapper latest channel-cta hs-embed-tnw\">\n<div id=\"hs-embed-tnw\" class=\"channel-cta-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"channel-cta-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/events.tnw\/hardfork-2018\/uploads\/visuals\/tnw-newsletter.png\"\/><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/events.tnw\/hardfork-2018\/uploads\/visuals\/tnw-newsletter.png\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"channel-cta-input\">\n<p class=\"channel-cta-title\">The &lt;3 of EU tech<\/p>\n<p class=\"channel-cta-tagline\">The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol&#8217; founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It&#8217;s free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">South African billionaire Jonathan Oppenheimer provided the bulk of financing. Polar Night will channel the funds into R&amp;D, expanding its team and exploring new sites to build more sand batteries.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_does_the_sand_battery_work\"><\/span><b>How does the sand battery work?\u00a0<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The sand battery charges<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> up when <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">renewable energy is in plentiful supply \u2014 like on a particular windy or sunny day. The clean electricity powers a heater that sends hot air through a <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">series<\/a> of pipes into a giant, insulated vat of sand, heating it to a toasty 600<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00b0C<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This energy can be stored for weeks or even months. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When neede<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">d, the battery discharges the hot air on demand \u2014 warming water in the district heating network. This can provide heat to households, factories, and even swimming pools.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The new sand battery in <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pornainen, which will take 13 months to build, is expected to stand 13 metres tall and 15 metres<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> wide. With a power output of 100 MWh, Polar Night estimates the battery will be able to heat the whole town of Pornainen for a week in winter, or an entire month in summer, when demand is lower.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The new battery will be about 10 times bigger than a <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/science-environment-61996520\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">pilot plant<\/span><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the startup has been operating since 2022.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"An_alternative_to_lithium-ion\"><\/span><b>An alternative to lithium-ion?\u00a0<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The best thing about sand batteries is their simplicity. Polar Night says its system can be built using standard off-the-shelf components.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unlike lithium-ion batteries which rely on hard-to-mine minerals, the sand battery uses dirt. Specifically, the battery in <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pornainen will be filled with crushed soapstone, a byproduct of the construction industry. Polar Night says the batteries work with any sand-like material that has a high enough density.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another advantage over lithium-ion is that sand batteries can store energy over weeks and months instead of hours. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plus their storage capacity doesn\u2019t degrade over time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, unlike conventional batteries, sand batteries are only suitable for heating, not electricity production. While technically you could use the hot steam to drive a turbine and make power, this would drastically cut the overall efficiency. This system only really works in central district heating systems, which, while common in Europe, aren\u2019t found everywhere.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nevertheless, district heating systems still represent a huge, largely unt<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>ed market. According to the <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iea.org\/energy-system\/buildings\/heating\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">International Energy Agency<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (IEA), heating accounts for around half of total energy consumption. In Europe, the majority of this heat comes from <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eea.europa.eu\/data-and-maps\/figures\/gross-eu-heat-production-by\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">burning<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> natural gas, oil, wood chips or waste.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pornainen alone, the sand battery is expected to cut the use of oil for heat entirely, while reducing wood chip burning by 60%. These gains come from a system that Polar Night <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/polarnightenergy.fi\/technology\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">claims<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can dispense energy at a cost-competitive \u20ac10 per kilowatt-hour.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For European towns, especially ones with access to lots of renewable energy, sand batteries appear to be low-hanging fruit. If scaled, they could become a significant part of the energy storage toolbox, alongside other options like lithium-ion<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">gravity<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hydropower<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CO2 domes<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span>\n                        <\/div>\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\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" 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;\"><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\/startup-sand-battery-funding-polar-night-finland\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last month, Finnish startup Polar Night Energy announced that it is building a giant sand battery capable of heating a town of 5,000 people for up to a month. That\u2019s on a single charge.\u00a0 Polar Night is constructing the sand battery for the town of Pornainen in southern Finland. The system is expected to enable&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":615560,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/tnw-blurple?filter_last=1&fit=1280%2C640&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn0.tnwcdn.com%2Fwp-content%2Fblogs.dir%2F1%2Ffiles%2F2024%2F04%2Fsand-battery-polar-night-startup-finland-funding-1.jpg&signature=76050bd4bc836000378645403d5bc742","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-615559","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\/615559","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=615559"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/615559\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/615560"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=615559"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=615559"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=615559"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}