A new IIASA-led project will transform decommissioned abandoned mines into long-term energy storage solutions.
The initiative, ‘Underground Gravity Energy Storage: A Solution for Long-Term Energy Storage,’ will utilise a groundbreaking method that stores energy by transporting sand into abandoned mines. The new technique, known as Underground Gravity Energy Storage (UGES), will help to expand the world’s sustainable energy portfolio.
Behnam Zakeri, study co-author and a researcher in the IIASA Energy, Climate, and Environment Program, explained: “To decarbonise the economy, we need to rethink the energy system based on innovative solutions using existing resources. Turning abandoned mines into energy storage is one example of many solutions that exist around us, and we only need to change the way we deploy them.”
Innovating energy storage technologies will be crucial for…
Abandoned mines could soon become energy storage hubs
