One of the deepest metallic element mines in Europe – the Pyhäsalmi Mine in central Finland – is to be turn into an enormous sobriety electric battery capable of storing 2 megawatt of energy .

As the satellite move towards renewable energy , we are faced with the job of storage . The problem is that the winding does n’t squander and the sun does n’t glow at precisely the metre when people want to take in their exponent . On particularly windy or cheery days , too much electricity can be generated , leading to a situation where consumer arepaid to consume electricityrather than overcharge the grid . But powerfulness that is n’t usedbecomes lost .

It would be better , of course , if we could store that energy off for previous use . soberness batteries are one mode of doing that .

Despite the cool name , the idea behindgravity batteriesis really unproblematic . During times when energy sources are producing more energy than the demand , the excess energy is used to move weights ( in the sort of water or sometimes sand ) upwards , turning it into likely vim . When the power supply is humbled , these objects can then be released , powering turbines as our in effect ally ( and deadly enemy ) gravity sends them toward the Earth .

Though generally , gravitational attraction battery take the material body of reservoirs , forsake minesmoving grit or other weights up when surplus magnate is being produced have also been suggested . Scotch company Gravitricity created a arrangement of winches and hoist that can be install in such disused mineshafts . The fellowship will add the system in the1,400 - meter - deep(4,600 feet ) zinc and copper mine in Pyhäjärvi , Finland .

“ As the populace bring forth more electricity from intermittent renewable energy sources , there is a farm motivation for technologies which can get and store energy during period of low demand and unblock it rapidly when ask , ” Gravitricity co - beginner Martin Wrightsaidof the technology late last year .

“ Our GraviStore belowground solemnity energy storage uses the force of gravitation to volunteer some of the best characteristics of lithium - ion batteries and pumped hydro depot – at low-down cost , and without the want for any uncommon earth alloy . "

An earlier version of this clause was release inFebruary 2024 .