The Swiss company Energy Vault announced the completion of construction and commissioning of the world’s first commercial gravitational energy storage. The plant was built in China. Its power reaches 25 MW, and the capacity is 100 MWh. It converts electrical energy into kinetic energy when concrete blocks are raised to a height and releases it again when the blocks are lowered to the ground.
Image Source: Energy Vault
The China-built gravitational energy storage facility is the first of its kind on a commercial scale. Prior to this, Energy Vault built a 5 MW demonstration plant in Switzerland, but a project in China overshadows it. Moreover, on the wave of success, China requires the construction of five more such storage facilities with a total capacity of 2 GWh.
According to the physics of the process, gravity storage resembles pumped-storage power plants, but without pumps and capricious equipment. Cargo in the form of monolithic 24-ton blocks rises to a height of 100 meters or more and descends at hours when energy is required. This is a good buffer for energy sources from renewable resources and, above all, from the Sun and wind.
The efficiency of the Energy Vault gravity station starts at 75% and can exceed 80%. Loading blocks (energy storage) can last from 2 to 12 hours or more, depending on the tasks and sources. The commissioning system in Jiangsu province near Shanghai will operate for 4 hours. It will be connected to the power transmission network in the fourth quarter of this year. Local authorities liked the project so much that they ordered another such drive.
It is interesting that a trained algorithm with a machine vision function manages all this economy. It will be an interesting location for filming the next “Terminator” … against the backdrop of 24-ton concrete blocks scurrying up and down. By the way, somewhere in the United States, Energy Vault is also building a similar gravitational installation.
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2023-08-03 08:07:00
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