World's first gravity battery in Czech Republic
In a former mine shaft in the Czech Republic, a British company plans to build a comprehensive energy storage project. It will use weights - up to 12 000 tonnes in total - suspended in the shaft from cables attached to winches. When there is a surplus of electricity, the weight is pulled to the top of the shaft to generate power.
This weight can then be released when needed and the winches become generators that either produce a significant surge of electricity quickly or release it more slowly, depending on the need.
The project is being carried out under the European Commission's Project Development Assistance scheme and is supported by the European Investment Bank.