Finland’s radical answer to renewable energy’s biggest headache: The world’s largest sand battery
The small Finnish town of Pornainen has deployed the world's largest commercial sand battery, developed by Polar Night Energy and commissioned by Loviisan Lämpö. The 13-meter-tall, 15-meter-wide silo contains 2,000 metric tons of crushed soapstone and stores 100 MWh of thermal energy. It provides nearly one month of heating demand in summer and one week in winter, slashing greenhouse gas emissions by 70% and reducing wood chip use by 60%. The technology addresses renewable energy intermittency by storing excess wind and solar power as heat. CEO Tommi Eronen highlighted the advantage of avoiding rare earth materials compared to lithium-ion batteries. Critics note challenges in converting heat back to electricity and lower energy density. The project is ten times larger than a 2022 prototype, signaling potential for scaling up regional heat storage.
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