Innovations for a new era of energy storage | Transforming Business

Summary

The world's first sand battery, capable of storing renewable energy as heat, is being expanded in Finland to become the largest of its kind. Utilizing abundant, low-grade sand, the technology stores heat at 500–600 degrees Celsius for months, feeding into district heating networks. As renewable energy generation surges, thermal batteries like sand, clay bricks, and rocks offer sustainable, large-scale energy storage solutions, crucial for decarbonizing industries and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, marking a significant step towards a zero-carbon future.

Takeaways

• 🌍 The world's first sand battery is capable of storing renewable energy as heat, using 100 tons of sand.
• 🔥 Sand's large surface area due to its small particles makes it an excellent medium for heat storage, similar to how hot sand feels on a beach in summer.
• 📈 The sand battery stores electricity as heat at temperatures around 500–600 degrees Celsius and can retain it for weeks or months.
• 🏭 The largest sand battery is planned to be built in Pornainen, Finland, aiming to replace 60% of the district heating produced with wood chips.
• 🔌 Renewable energy is intermittent, and thermal batteries like sand batteries are essential for capturing excess energy and distributing it when needed.
• 📊 A study suggests that by 2040, heat battery storage solutions could supply up to 15 times more energy than today, addressing the issue of wasted renewable energy.
• 💡 Thermal batteries are considered more suitable for large energy storage compared to lithium-ion batteries due to their longevity, lower cost, and lack of reliance on rare minerals.
• 🧱 Rondo, a company that makes bricks from clay, functions as heat batteries for industrial use, capable of storing energy at higher temperatures than sand batteries.
• 🏥 Brenmiller's heat storage solution uses crushed rocks and is already in use, serving needs such as a hospital's energy requirements, with a lifespan of 30 years.
• ♻️ Thermal energy storage solutions could reduce a significant portion of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and 2050, contributing to a healthier planet.
• 🔧 The deployment of thermal batteries is crucial for decarbonizing the industrial sector, which accounts for a large percentage of global energy consumption and emissions.

Q & A

What is a sand battery and how does it store energy?

A sand battery is a large-scale heat battery filled with tons of sand, which can store renewable energy as heat. It uses the sand's large surface area to retain heat effectively, storing it at temperatures around 500–600 degrees Celsius for weeks or months.

What is the significance of the sand battery in Pornainen, Southern Finland?

The sand battery in Pornainen is significant as it aims to become the world's largest, replacing about 60% of the district heating produced with wood chips. It will store renewable electricity as heat and feed it back into the district heating network when needed.

How does the first sand battery work in terms of heating a local swimming pool?

The first sand battery, located in Kankaanpää, Finland, is connected to a district heating network that also heats homes in the area. It can release the stored heat to warm a local 25-meter swimming pool.

What is the main challenge with renewable energy sources?

The main challenge with renewable energy sources is their intermittency. They produce a lot of electricity when the sun is shining or the wind is blowing, but the challenge lies in capturing that energy when it's plentiful and channeling it to people when they need it.

Why are thermal batteries considered more suitable for large amounts of energy storage compared to lithium-ion batteries?

Thermal batteries are considered more suitable for large amounts of energy storage because they can last longer, are cheaper, and do not require rare minerals like lithium-ion batteries. They are also more environmentally friendly as they can be made from natural materials.

What is the role of Rondo's clay bricks in thermal energy storage?

Rondo's clay bricks function as heat batteries for industrial use. They store energy as heat to be used later, and unlike the sand battery, the technology used can also convert the heat back into electricity. The bricks can store energy at much higher temperatures, almost three times as high as the sand battery, at 1,500 degrees Celsius.

How do Brenmiller's stationary heat batteries made of crushed rocks contribute to energy storage?

Brenmiller's stationary heat batteries, filled with crushed rocks, are used to serve the needs of various facilities, such as hospitals. They have a lifespan of 30 years and are driven by harnessing green energy, making the process of making heat less reliant on fossil fuels.

What is the potential impact of thermal energy storage solutions on greenhouse gas emissions by 2050?

A report suggests that electric thermal energy storage solutions could reduce the equivalent of up to 14% of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions globally by 2050.

How does the sand battery technology address the issue of sand as a finite resource and its environmental impact?

The team in Finland is exploring sand-like materials, such as crushed soapstone, a byproduct from a Finnish fireplace company, to be used as the storage medium in the new sand battery, addressing the issue of sand as a finite resource and its environmental impact.

What is the energy loss percentage of the sand battery and its limitations in industrial applications?

The sand battery loses about 30% of its energy and is not capable of returning electricity as electricity. It can only be applied to less than 40% of industrial needs due to its lower temperature range.

How do thermal batteries contribute to the decarbonization of the industrial sector?

Thermal batteries can help decarbonize the industrial sector by providing a renewable source of heat for processes that currently rely on fossil fuels. This is crucial as heat generation or heating and cooling account for over 50% of the world's energy consumption.