Gravitational energy storage trials set for decommissioned mine in Australia
Source：pv magazine
Australian energy storage company Green Gravity and mining business Wollongong Resources, majority owned by Indian steel giant Jindal Steel and Power Ltd., have signed an agreement to deploy gravitational energy storage trials at the Russell Vale mine.
The decommissioned underground coal mine, one of Australia’s oldest, is located in the Illawarra region about 10 km north of Wollongong and 60 km south of Sydney. It has been assessed for its suitability to host gravitational energy storage.
Multiple mineshafts at the site are well suited to the deployment of Green Gravity technology, with the No. 4 mineshaft confirmed as the site of the world’s first deployment of the breakthrough technology.
Green Gravity CEO Mark Swinnerton said Wollongong is an ideal location for deploying our innovative clean energy technology.
“The region has large industrial power demand combined with a rich coal mining history. This agreement shows that gravitational energy storage has an important role to play in transitioning our urban and industrial energy mix toward low carbon sources,” Swinnerton said.
Green Gravity has previously announced feasibility assessment for commercial deployment of the technology at more than 75 mineshafts.
“With a current deployment pipeline of 10 GWh, Green Gravity is well positioned to deliver significant impact to the clean energy transition,” Swinnerton said. “The demonstration plant at Russell Vale mine will deliver world-class testing data. By placing and retrieving multiple weights 400 metres underground using fully autonomous systems, we will have the opportunity to validate the incredible safety and environmental credentials of Green Gravity’s technology.”
An engineering study and regulatory approvals for the deployment of the technology at the No. 4 mineshaft are underway, and technical trials will include the repurposing of key infrastructure at the site, alongside installation of new electrical and mechanical components.
Wollongong Resources Company Secretary Sanjay Sharma said the company is committed to finding smarter ways to reduce emissions and support a low-carbon future.
“Our partnership with Green Gravity marks an exciting step forward – trialing a world-first clean energy technology right here in Australia,” Sharma said. “This project not only showcases innovation, but also highlights how legacy coal infrastructure can be transformed into productive assets that serve a cleaner, more sustainable future.”
The site will remain non-grid connected during trials, with energy storage tests at 150 kW of power and the exchange of energy tested at up to 400 meters depth to underpin scaled testing of the technology.
The mechanical components and key control systems will be tested at a scale sufficient to underpin future commercial deployments of the technology.
A company statement says commercial application of Green Gravity’s technology is expected to deliver increments of up to 10 MW of between eeight and 20 hours of duration at individual mineshafts.