“This month, Finland launched the world’s largest sand battery, enabling residents to remove oil from their district heating network and reduce emissions by nearly 70 percent, as reported by Euro News. If it continues to operate as efficiently and affordably as expected, sand batteries could become common worldwide. Developed by Finnish company Polar Night Energy, this battery uses excess clean electricity to heat sand to high temperatures, storing thermal energy that can later be released to heat homes and power local industries. This is not Finland’s first sand battery, but it is significantly larger. The facility in Pornainen is an insulated silo that stands 13 meters tall and 15 meters wide, containing 2,000 tonnes of crushed soapstone. The sand retains heat remarkably well, losing only 10 to 15 percent during storage and recovery, according to The Cool Down.”
Sand batteries are a significant advancement in clean energy technology.
Holy shit, this is incredible.
“This new facility can hold 100 MWh for about a month in summer and a week in winter. That’s enough for the town of 5000 local residents.
TechCrunch estimates the Finnish battery’s costs are under $25 per kilowatt-hour, compared to around $115 for leading lithium-ion batteries.90% efficiency.It doesn’t use any “rare earths” or critical materials. Instead using locally sourced, recyclable materials.Units are scalable and modular to fit different needs and uses.
Suits small towns (like the current facility) and large scale industrial uses.
13 meters tall and 15 meters wide. Independent of geography.
No supply issues due to any geo-political problems.
Designed to store energy when it’s cheap and plentiful and supply when it’s expensive.“
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