Gravitricity plans 2-MW gravity energy store at Finnish mine

Scottish energy storage company Gravitricity has unveiled plans for Europe’s first full-scale gravity energy storage facility, slated to be located at one of the continent's deepest mines near the small town of Pyhajarvi in central Finland.

Gravitricity has signed an agreement with local regeneration company Callio Pyhajarvi to turn a 530-metre (1,740 ft) deep auxiliary shaft into a full-scale prototype of Gravitricity’s technology with up to 2 MW of storage capacity. The project would connect to the local electricity grid and provide balancing services to the Finnish network.

Callio has been set up by the local community to promote regeneration projects at the disused zinc and copper mine, which is owned by Canada’s First Quantum Minerals.

Gravitricity’s energy storage system, GraviStore, works by raising and lowering heavy weights in underground shafts.

“This full-scale project will provide a pathway to other commercial projects and allow our solution to be embedded into mine decommissioning activities, offering a potential future for mines approaching the end of their original service life,” said Gravitricity’s executive chairman Martin Wright.

Gravitricity expects to be supported in the project by its partners, Swedish-Swiss energy technology company ABB with its mine hoist expertise and Dutch winch specialists Huisman.

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