Mine Storage has secured land rights for a mine storage facility in Skåne. The company is now ready to begin the public consultation process for the design of an 80 MWh mine storage facility. The mine storage can be emptied and filled several times per day. Thus, a mine storage facility in Vånga, located in eastern Skåne, can become a valuable contribution to the energy system in the region.
Large-scale energy storage is a pre-requisite to meet the increasing demand for electricity. The Swedish electricity consumption is expected to increase from approximately 150 TWh to between 300-400 TWh in 2050. As a society we must find innovative solutions to ensure a stable electricity grid despite these enormous changes. Mine Storage develops large-scale energy storage in decommissioned mines or quarries based on pumped storage technology.
By pumping water between two water reservoirs at different heights, energy can be stored for later use. A mine storage facility has a very low environmental impact. An existing mine or quarry becomes a circular asset by converting it into a water reservoir in the mine storage facility.
In the Vånga facility, the company plans to use a quarry located approx. 140 meters above Lake Ivösjön as the upper reservoir and Lake Ivösjön as the lower reservoir. The mine storage facility is estimated to provide a storage potential of approx. 80 MWh of energy. The mine storage facility can be emptied and filled several times per day and can thus become a valuable contribution with balancing services to the electricity grid as well as an opportunity to combine with both solar and wind power production in the local area.
Illustration of the Vånga mine storage facility
“Electricity is the ultimate fresh product that must be produced and consumed at the same time. In case of overproduction of electricity from, for example, sun or wind, energy can be stored in the Vånga facility by pumping water from Lake Ivösjön up to the quarry. Later, when the demand for electricity is higher, water is released back into Lake Ivösjön via turbines and the electricity is sent back to the grid,” says Thomas Johansson, co-founder and CEO of Mine Storage. “The Vånga facility can also help to stabilize the electricity grid in order to enable other energy-intensive activities in the region.“
Mine Storage is now planning a public consultation process that includes the municipality, the county administration board, the public, local fishery conservation associations and other stakeholders.
