Work is reported to be well advanced on a 250 kW demonstrator energy storage device at its site in Edinburgh, Scotland. This is a ground-breaking project to store renewable energy using gravity. The £1 million demonstration project is being developed by Gravitricity, a Leith based start-up which aims to use underground shafts and massive weights to store large amounts of energy.
Their 250 kW demonstrator comprises a 15-metre high lattice tower, two 25-tonnes weights suspended by steel cables, plus two fully grid-connected generator units. The tower and top frame were recently installed; the next stage focuses on installing the electrical connection to the winch container, with the aim of being fully commissioned by April this year.
The full scale projects will operate underground – but for this scale demonstator an above-ground structure has been built. A two two-month test programme will be carried out to confirm the modelling and provide data for the company’s first full-scale 4-8 MW project which will commence later this year.
The project is supported by a £640 000 grant from UK government funding organisation Innovate UK.
