Estimates suggest abandoned mine shafts could store enough electricity to power the planet

An abandoned mine in Finland is set to be transformed into a giant battery to store renewable energy during periods of excess production.

The Pyhäsalmi Mine, roughly 450 kilometres north of Helsinki, is Europe’s deepest zinc and copper mine and holds the potential to store up to 2 MW of energy within its 1,400-metre-deep shafts.

The disused mine will be fitted with a gravity battery, which uses excess energy from renewable sources like solar and wind in order to lift a heavy weight. During periods of low production, the weight is released and used to power a turbine as it drops.

  • tunetardis
    7·
    10 months ago

    My fave has gotta be kwh/yr/ft². I came across that while researching the lighting requirements for hydroponics.

    • pcouy@lemmy.pierre-couy.fr
      1·
      10 months ago

      Well, it kind of makes sense to give a figure in such an unit. It allows you to quickly calculate how much you’re gonna spend on your electric bill (but only if you’re based in the US), since all weird conversions are already done