Australian resources giant BHP has agreed to roll out the innovative long-duration energy storage technology of Swiss company Energy Vault, as part of low-carbon plans to electrify its global mining operations.In a joint memorandum of understanding (MoU), the two companies agreed to collaborate on the deployment and implementation of Energy Vault’s “gigawatt scale” technology in BHP’s key operations and other potential applications.Energy Vault is behind a kinetic energy based, long-duration energy storage solution that is inspired by pumped hydro, but uses blocks of solid material instead of water.The blocks, weighing around 35 tonnes each – and which could comprise recycled wind turbine blades through a joint venture with Enel Green Power – are lifted to store electricity and lowered when it is needed again, using gravity to generate the power as they descend.The…
BHP taps “giga-scale” gravity energy storage that may use recycled wind blades
