Finnish technology outfit Polar Night Energy and compatriot utility Vatajankoski have switched on what is claimed to be the world’s first commercial sand-based thermal energy storage system, to back-up a local heating network in the west of the Nordic country. The system set up adjacent to the power plant, which has 100kW heating power and 8MWh capacity, uses renewable energy to stoke up the sand to temperatures of 500-600C, ‘discharging’ to provide heat for the Kankaanpää district. “The construction of the storage went well, especially considering that the solution is completely new. We managed to get everything in order despite some challenges and a short delay. Now the sand is already hot,” said Polar Night CTO Markku Ylönen, in a LinkedIn post. “We have already learnt that our system has even more potential than we initially calculated. It’s been a positive…
‘Logical step toward combustion-free heat’ | Finns launch world’s first sand-based energy storage
