Store solar and wind energy through a gravity-based system. That's the aim of Scottish company Gravitricity, which is planning a project to store surplus renewable energy in Edinburgh's Port of Leith.
According to the startup, a 16-meter-high platform uses excess clean energy to lift a mass on an axis of 150 to 1.500 meters and, consequently, discharge electricity.
“The mass used can range from 500 to 5.000 tons and the electricity discharged can power around 30.000 homes for two hours,” Gravitricity said.
The company also commented that this technology has the response time of lithium-ion batteries and that the system offers 25 years of service without loss of performance or cyclical degradation.
Pilot project
A €1,14 million pilot project will be built in October at the port of Leith, Scotland's largest deep-water port. Completion of the 250 kW project is scheduled for December.
“This two-month test program will confirm our model and provide valuable data for our first large-scale 4 MW project, which will begin in 2021,” concluded Miles Franklin, engineer at Gravitricity.
Gravitational storage
Swiss company Energy Vault launched gravity-based storage technology, which was based on a 35-ton crane and concrete blocks, a year ago.
According to the startup, this system considers volatility in energy supply and demand, weather conditions and inertia. The project was supported by a US$110 million investment from Japanese lender Soft Bank.
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