A Scottish energy storage company has hailed a link-up with a major new partner.
Gravitricity said the agreement it has signed with Swedish-Swiss multinational ABB will allow it to explore how its new partner’s hoist expertise and technologies can accelerate the development and implementation of gravity energy storage systems in former mines.
Gravitricity has developed GraviStore, a gravity energy storage system that raises and lowers heavy weights in underground shafts – "to offer some of the best characteristics of lithium-ion batteries and pumped hydro storage".
It said future GraviStores will store more than 20MWh, providing long-duration storage and rapid power delivery to network-constrained users and operators, distribution networks and major power users.
READ MORE: Gravitricity in contract to test tech in Germany
The firm claims that, unlike batteries, the Gravitricity system can operate for decades without any reduction in performance.
Edinburgh-based Gravitricity has already proven the system with a scale demonstrator in Leith and is exploring the potential to deploy its groundbreaking technology in decommissioned mines worldwide.
READ MORE: Gravitricity links with US giant
It said that, as a market leader for mine hoists with a large installed base of more than 1,000 hoist solutions worldwide, ABB will collaborate by providing research and development, product development and engineering teams specializing in the design, engineering and operations of mine hoists and mechanical, electrical and control technologies for hoisting.
Martin Wright, Gravitricity co-founder and executive chairman, said: "As the world generates more electricity from intermittent renewable energy sources, there is a growing need for technologies which can capture and store energy during periods of low demand and release it rapidly when required."
READ MORE: Gravitricity in underground hydrogen store plan
Charles Bennett, of ABB Process Industries, said: "ABB has 130 years of history with mine hoists, since we first electrified one in Sweden in the 1890s, but this collaboration with Gravitricity shows how we can continue to diversify and adapt our technologies."
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