Green Gravity’s Demonstrator Facility Visit

Could closed mine shafts be repurposed for renewable energy storage?

Australia is projected to spend $4–8 billion annually on mine rehabilitation as around 240 mines close by 2040. In this context, Powering Australia’s NSW Node recently visited Green Gravity’s demonstrator facility in Wollongong to learn about their gravity-based energy storage concepts under development.

The company is investigating how mine shaft infrastructure might be used to store energy by raising and lowering heavy weights, creating gravitational potential energy that can later be released to generate electricity. Green Gravity has signed a MoU with Mount Isa City Council and Glencore to assess opportunities at Mount Isa Copper Operations, with studies exploring up to 2GWh of storage potential.