Inexperienced Gravity and Wollongong Assets have executed a binding settlement to deploy gravitational power storage trials on the Russell Vale mine, in New South Wales, Australia.
Constructing on the MoU introduced in December 2023, Inexperienced Gravity and Wollongong Assets have labored carefully to evaluate the Russell Vale website for its suitability to accommodate gravitational power storage. A number of mine shafts on the website are effectively suited to the deployment of Inexperienced Gravity expertise, with the #4 mine shaft confirmed as the positioning of the world’s first deployment of the breakthrough expertise, Inexperienced Gravity says.
Inexperienced Gravity is finishing engineering examine and regulatory approvals for the deployment of gravitational power storage on the Russell Vale #4 mine shaft. The technical trials will embody the repurposing of key infrastructure on the website, alongside set up of latest electrical and mechanical parts. The location will stay non-grid related throughout trials, with power storage assessments at 150 kW of energy. The change of power will probably be examined at as much as 400 m of depth, underpinning scaled testing of the expertise.
The Russell Vale mine, situated in Wollongong, was an energetic coal mine between the late 1800s and 2023, after which it entered care and upkeep. The location is positioned in a area with a number of operational and legacy coal mines. Wollongong Assets holds eight mine shafts within the Illawarra with the potential to ship greater than 100 MWh of unpolluted power storage inside the higher Sydney metropolitan space.
Inexperienced Gravity deployed preliminary technical trials on the Gravity Lab™ throughout 2023. The power, situated at BlueScope’s Port Kembla Steelworks, has delivered vital technical efficiency information for the deployment of gravitational long-duration power storage. The Gravity Lab can check the motion of 16 weights throughout two simulated mine shafts. The interpretation of technical information to the Russell Vale #4 mine shaft manufacturing trials will allow the essential validation of the expertise within the energetic deployment atmosphere.
Securing binding entry to the Russell Vale #4 mine shaft is a major step within the world deployment of underground gravitational power storage. Inexperienced Gravity already holds key mental property in using multi-weight gravitational programs able to delivering very excessive power density. Translating the expertise to commercial-grade operations on the Russell Vale #4 mine shaft will place Inexperienced Gravity on the forefront of the sector, it says.
This would be the first world trial of a expertise of this sort, in keeping with Inexperienced Gravity.
Whereas trials will probably be carried out at 150 kW of energy, the mechanical parts and key management programs will probably be examined at a scale enough to underpin future business deployments of the expertise. Industrial utility of Inexperienced Gravity’s gravitational power storage expertise is predicted to ship increments of as much as 10 MW of between eight and 20 hours of period at particular person mine shafts.
Inexperienced Gravity has commenced the ultimate stage of feasibility examine to allow allowing and development of the demonstration plant. The corporate expects to make a closing funding determination on the capital mission inside months, which helps an goal of advancing large-scale manufacturing trials throughout 2026.
Mark Swinnerton, Founder and CEO of Inexperienced Gravity, mentioned: “Wollongong is a perfect location for deploying our modern clear power expertise. The area has giant industrial energy demand mixed with a wealthy coal mining historical past. This announcement reveals that gravitational power storage has an essential position to play in transitioning our city and industrial power combine towards low carbon sources.”
“Inexperienced Gravity has beforehand introduced feasibility evaluation for business deployment of the expertise at greater than 75 mine shafts. With a present deployment pipeline of 10 GWh, Inexperienced Gravity is effectively positioned to ship vital impression to the clear power transition.
“The demonstration plant at Russell Vale mine will ship world-class testing information. By inserting and retrieving a number of weights 400 m underground utilizing totally autonomous programs, we may have the chance to validate the unbelievable security and environmental credentials of Inexperienced Gravity’s expertise.”
Sanjay Sharma, the Firm Secretary of Wollongong Assets, mentioned: “At Wollongong Assets, we’re dedicated to discovering smarter methods to cut back emissions
and help a low-carbon future. Our partnership with Inexperienced Gravity marks an thrilling step ahead – trialling a world-first clear power expertise proper right here in Australia. This mission not solely showcases innovation, but in addition highlights how legacy coal infrastructure might be reworked into productive property that serve a cleaner, extra sustainable future.”
