The storage of renewable electricity is one of the great challenges of the energy transition. A Ticino company, Energy Vault, has embarked on a somewhat crazy project and proposes to bet on terrestrial attraction.
In Bellinzona (TI), a demonstration electric battery is planted in the ground. Its principle, storage by gravity, is of interest to the whole world. The system must make it possible to overcome the handicap of renewable energies: their intermittency.
“When there is excess solar or wind power in the network, we use it to turn motors and hoist our 30-tonne blocks up high. It is a bundle of potential energy that is then perched on the top of the tower,” said Robert Piconi, general manager of Energy Vault.
And to continue his explanation in the 7:30 p.m.: “When the network needs electricity, we lower the blocks. Their weight drives the motors which then produce electricity that we inject into the network. Everything is orchestrated by software. at the forefront of artificial intelligence.
Not new, but…
The principle of using Earth’s attraction to store energy is not new. Others have already thought regarding it and exploit it on a large scale with water. This is hydroelectric pumped storage, which is found in some dams.
However, a problem arises in the previous case: not everyone is lucky enough to have mountains. So on a smaller scale, the Energy Vault system is salable.
“We achieve one of the lowest storage costs, because we use gravity, blocks which do not degrade and which offer a very low operating and maintenance cost for our customers”, continues Robert Piconi.
High interest
On a larger scale, the company offers veritable storage buildings. And interest in this technology is growing, especially in the United States, Australia and Saudi Arabia. In China too, a 100 MWh project will come out of the ground this year.
Listed on the stock exchange since February, Energy Vault is driven by the climatic context, but also by a political context in the face of fossil resources. The firm has raised several hundred million francs of investment around its system.
“We see today that these resources may no longer be available. This causes an urgency to ensure that renewable alternatives are available,” said the director of the Ticino company.
Pascal Jeannerat / Nicole Della Pietra / jfe
