Impression of Gravitricity energy storage project.
Scottish company Gravitricity teams up with US construction group to target energy storage in disused mines
UK underground energy storage company Gravitricity is poised to break into the US after teaming up with a major American construction group.
The Edinburgh firm is to partner with US infrastructure conglomerate IEA Infrastructure Construction as the US government provides millions of dollars in funding for energy projects at former mines.
Gravitricity has signed an agreement with the Illinois-based construction firm to seek funds jointly for renewable energy schemes, including those at disused mines.
In April, the Biden administration made $450 million available for clean energy projects at the site of current or former coal mines, as part of efforts to combat climate change.
Gravitricity is developing below-ground gravity energy storage systems in the UK and mainland Europe.
It is already advancing proposals for a mine project in the Czech Republic, where it plans to store energy by lowering and raising a single massive weight suspended in a former mine.
The company has already demonstrated a scale version of its technology in Scotland, built in partnership with Dutch winch specialists Huisman, and now plans to build full-scale schemes in the UK and worldwide.
It claims future systems could have a capacity of 25MWh or more.
Up to five clean energy projects will be funded at current and former US mines, through the $1 trillion 2021 infrastructure law, with demonstration projects expected to “provide knowledge and experience that catalyse the next generation of clean energy on mine land projects” according to the Energy Department.
The White House also said it will allow developers of clean energy projects to take advantage of billions of dollars in new bonuses being offered in addition to investment and production tax credits available through the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
The White House said the bonuses will “incentivize more clean energy investment in energy communities, particularly coal communities” that have been impacted by a decade-plus decline in US coal production.
“The timing could not be better,” says Gravitricity commercial director Robin Lane (pictured below).
“Governments worldwide recognise the need for energy storage and also the requirement to find new futures for mining communities seeking alternatives.
“This mine-specific US initiative, on top of the already generous IRA provisions, make the States a particularly attractive destination for first-of-a-kind projects.
“IEA Infrastructure Construction has proven expertise in heavy civil, energy and infrastructure schemes and are the ideal partner for us to seek opportunities in this fast-evolving market.”
Applications are due by the end of August, with grant decisions expected by early next year.
In February, Gravitricity signed a memorandum with DIAMO, the Czech state enterprise charged with mitigating the consequences of coal mining in the republic, where the two parties committed to work in tandem to seek EU funds to turn the decommissioned mine into a 4MW/2MWh energy store.
Gravitricity estimates that worldwide there are around 14,000 mines which could be suitable for gravity energy storage.
