Latest news with #districtheating
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Finland warms up the world's largest sand battery, and the economics look appealing
It doesn't look like much, but Finland recently flipped the switch on the world's largest sand-based battery. Yes, sand. A sand battery is a type of thermal energy storage system that uses sand or crushed rock to store heat. Electricity — typically from renewable sources — is used to heat the sand. That stored heat can later be used for various ends, including to warm buildings. The economics are compelling, and it's hard to get any cheaper than the crushed soapstone now housed inside an insulated silo in the small town of Pornainen. The soapstone was basically trash — discarded from a Finnish fireplace maker. Though it might not be as visually impressive as a large lithium-ion battery pack, the 2,000 metric tons of pulverized rock inside the 49-foot-wide silo promises to slash Pornainen's carbon emissions, helping the town eliminate costly oil that currently helps power the town's district heating network. Like many Scandinavian towns, Pornainen operates a central boiler that heats water for homes and buildings around town. Polar Night's battery can store 1,000 megawatt-hours of heat for weeks at a time, enough for a week's worth of heating in the chilly Finnish winter. From storage to recovery, only about 10% to 15% of the heat is lost, and the temperature at the outlet can be up to 400°C. The town's district heating system also relies on burning wood chips, and the sand battery will reduce that consumption by about 60%, according to Polar Night. Heat from the battery could also generate electricity, though the process would sacrifice some efficiency. As renewables have gotten cheaper, interest in thermal batteries has grown. Beyond Polar Night, numerous startups are pursuing thermal batteries. Scotland-based Sunamp is building one that relies on the same material that gives salt-and-vinegar potato chips their flavor. Electrified Thermal Solutions, TechCrunch's Startup Battlefield 2023 runner-up, has created a type of brick that can produce heat approaching 2,000°C. And Fourth Power is making graphite blocks that store electricity as 2,400°C heat. Pornainen's battery is charged using electricity from the grid, and its massive storage capacity allows the operator to draw power when it's cheapest. Finland's grid is mostly renewables (43%) and nuclear (26%), meaning its electricity is pretty clean. It's also the cheapest in Europe at just under €0.08 per kilowatt-hour — less than half the EU average. Polar Night didn't disclose the project's cost, though the raw materials are cheap and the structure itself isn't particularly complex. A much smaller prototype built a few years ago cost around $25 per kilowatt-hour of storage, the company estimated at the time. It's likely the new version is cheaper. Lithium-ion batteries cost around $115 per kilowatt-hour. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
TechCrunch
16-06-2025
- Business
- TechCrunch
Finland warms up the world's largest sand battery, and the economics look appealing
It doesn't look like much, but Finland recently flipped the switch on the world's largest sand-based battery. Yes, sand. A sand battery is a type of thermal energy storage system that uses sand or crushed rock to store heat. Electricity — typically from renewable sources — is used to heat the sand. That stored heat can later be used for various ends, including to warm buildings. The economics are compelling, and it's hard to get any cheaper than the crushed soapstone now housed inside an insulated silo in the small town of Pornainen. The soapstone was basically trash — discarded from a Finnish fireplace maker. Though it might not be as visually impressive as a large lithium-ion battery pack, the 2,000 metric tons of pulverized rock inside the 49-foot-wide silo promises to slash Pornainen's carbon emissions, helping the town to eliminate costly oil that currently helps power the town's district heating network. Like many Scandinavian towns, Pornainen operates a central boiler that heats water for homes and buildings around town. Polar Night's battery can store 1,000 megawatt-hours of heat for weeks at a time, enough for a week's worth of heating in the chilly Finnish winter. From storage to recovery, only about 10% to 15% of the heat is lost, and the temperature at the outlet can be up to 400 degrees Celsius. The town's district heating system also relies on burning wood chips, and the sand battery will reduce that consumption by about 60%, according to Polar Night. Heat from the battery could also generate electricity, though the process would sacrifice some efficiency. Techcrunch event Save $200+ on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Save $200+ on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Boston, MA | REGISTER NOW As renewables have gotten cheaper, interest in thermal batteries has grown. Beyond Polar Night, numerous startups are pursuing thermal batteries. Scotland-based Sunamp is building one that relies on the same material that gives salt-and-vinegar potato chips their flavor. Electrified Thermal Solutions, TechCrunch's Startup Battlefield 2023 runner-up, has created a type of brick that can produce heat approaching 2,000 degrees Celsius. And Fourth Power is making graphite blocks that store electricity as 2,400 degree Celsius heat. Pornainen's battery is charged using electricity from the grid, and its massive storage capacity allows the operator to draw power when it's cheapest. Finland's grid is mostly renewables (43%) and nuclear (26%), meaning its electricity is pretty clean. It's also the cheapest in Europe at just under €0.08 per kilowatt-hour — less than half the EU average. Polar Night didn't disclose the project's cost, though the raw materials are cheap and the structure itself isn't particularly complex. A much smaller prototype built a few years ago cost around $25 per kilowatt-hour of storage, the company estimated at the time. It's likely the new version is cheaper. Lithium-ion batteries cost around $115 per kilowatt-hour.
Zawya
26-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Oman: Exploring the potential of sand batteries for the Gulf
In the global quest for sustainable energy, the spotlight often shines on solar panels, wind turbines, and lithium-ion batteries. But in the quiet town of Kankaanpää, Finland, a modest silo packed with sand is rewriting the rules of energy storage; offering a promising solution to one of renewable energy's most stubborn challenges: what to do when the sun isn't shining and the wind isn't blowing. The world's first commercial sand battery became operational in July 2022, the result of a collaboration between Finnish startup Polar Night Energy and local utility Vatajankoski (Polar Night Energy, 2022). The installation, a 7-meter-high steel container filled with around 100 tons of coarse sand, uses excess renewable electricity to heat air, which is then circulated through the sand, raising its temperature to about 600°C. The stored thermal energy is later used to supply the town's district heating network, warming homes and even a municipal swimming pool (BBC Future, 2022). Unlike conventional batteries, which store electricity, sand batteries store heat - a key advantage in cold climates where heating demand exceeds electrical use. The Kankaanpää system delivers 100 kW of heating power with a thermal storage capacity of 8 MWh, allowing energy to be held for days or weeks with minimal loss (Polar Night Energy, 2022). A second installation in Pornainen, southern Finland, is currently under development. Slated for commissioning in 2025, this larger unit will store up to 100 MWh using 2,000 tons of crushed soapstone, a byproduct of fireplace manufacturing. The system is expected to cut the town's oil-based heating use by over 60% (PV Magazine, 2024). The simplicity and sustainability of sand battery technology make it especially appealing. Sand is abundant, affordable, and thermally stable. Unlike lithium-ion systems, sand batteries involve no toxic materials or rare earth elements and operate without moving parts—minimizing long-term maintenance and degradation (NREL, 2024). Although the concept remains new, it is attracting global attention. The US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has confirmed sand's potential for long-duration thermal storage, capable of maintaining high temperatures with minimal heat loss over time (NREL, 2024). Meanwhile, researchers in the United Arab Emirates have demonstrated that local desert sand can store solar energy at temperatures of up to 1,000°C, proving its viability for regional adaptation (Masdar Institute, 2017). So far, no sand battery projects have been deployed in the Gulf. Energy storage in the GCC remains dominated by lithium-ion systems, such as Saudi Arabia's 1,000 MWh battery at the Red Sea Project (Red Sea Global, 2023) and the UAE's Masdar-led 5 GW solar-battery hybrid system (Financial Times, 2024). Yet the Gulf's abundant solar radiation, readily available desert sand, and commitment to decarbonization position it well for future sand battery implementation. If adapted to local needs -particularly cooling- sand batteries could complement existing renewable strategies in the GCC. For example, thermal storage could be linked to concentrated solar power (CSP) systems or used in district cooling networks. These adaptations would support the region's goal of net-zero energy systems without relying heavily on imported battery materials. While commercial use remains limited to Finland, sand batteries offer an elegant, low-cost path forward, particularly for regions seeking seasonal energy storage solutions without the footprint of chemical battery farms. As Polar Night Energy's team puts it, 'the future of clean energy may not only be in the sky, but beneath our feet.' 2022 © All right reserved for Oman Establishment for Press, Publication and Advertising (OEPPA) Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
