A large number of ways are used to generate electricity. Smaller amounts of energy can store batteries, but humanity has not yet found a suitable way to store large amounts of energy that can be used in all areas. All this can be changed by a Swiss startup called Energy Vault. The company found a solution for storing energy in the form of huge concrete blocks. This startup has gained the attention of many investors and its technology may soon be implemented.
Simple and ingenious technology
Energy storage technology is simple in this case. It is based on concrete blocks weighing 35 tons and a tall tower. When there is excess energy, a mechanical crane lifts a heavy concrete block into the air. The concrete blocks will remain suspended at a height until energy is needed. When electricity is needed, the blocks lower, pulling on the cables that spin the turbine to generate electricity.
High storage capacity
The company estimates that the concrete blocks will have a storage capacity of up to 80 megawatt hours and will be able to continuously discharge 4 to 8 megawatts for 8 to 16 hours. The blocks will be produced in a sustainable way, using land and local waste. Such production would save emissions when transporting blocks from remote locations.
“The world is at a critical inflection point in the shift towards broader adoption of renewable energy sources. Energy Vault is accelerating this transformation as we now move to global deployments and market adoption of the technology to help energy providers and industrial customers more cost-effectively meet their sustainability and decarbonization goals,” Robert Piconi, CEO and co-founder, Energy Vault concluded in a statement.
So far, Energy Vault is looking for more investors, but given the genius of the whole project, it will certainly not take long. If this technology becomes common practice, there will finally be the best way to store excess electricity.
Source & credit: energyvault.com
