Finnish town to be powered by the largest sand-based heating system, omitting the use of fossil fuels.
In the picturesque town of Pornainen, an hour north of Helsinki, a revolutionary energy storage solution is transforming the local district heating network. Developed by Finnish startup Polar Night Energy, the sand battery is poised to significantly reduce fossil fuel dependence and promote renewable energy adoption.
The sand battery, measuring approximately 13 meters tall and 15 meters wide, is filled with 2,000 tonnes of crushed soapstone. This innovative technology captures excess electricity from renewable sources like wind and solar, converting it into thermal energy, and stores it within the sand battery.
The sand battery is integrated into the district heating network, providing thermal energy to homes, municipal buildings, and even swimming pools. In Pornainen, the sand battery is expected to replace natural gas and oil in the district heating network entirely, resulting in a significant reduction in emissions, estimated to be around 70%.
The sand battery works by heating sand to a temperature of 600°C during periods of renewable energy abundance, such as sunny or windy days. Charging the sand battery from ambient temperature to 600°C takes approximately four days, but it is continuously topped up with excess renewable energy. The stored energy can be released for weeks or months and used to heat water in the district heating network.
Pornainen will maintain a biomass boiler as a backup source of energy during peak demand. However, the sand battery is expected to meet nearly a month's worth of local heating demand during summer and up to a week in winter, demonstrating its scalability and efficiency.
Liisa Naskali, COO at Polar Night Energy, stated that the project is a powerful example of effective solutions for mitigating climate change. The success of this project can pave the way for broader adoption of similar energy storage solutions globally, contributing to a more sustainable energy future.
Polar Night Energy aims to offer a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels for heating homes. If scaled, sand batteries could become a significant part of the energy storage solution, alongside other options such as lithium-ion, gravity, hydropower, and CO2 domes. The startup is currently in discussions to install new, larger sand batteries not only in Finland but internationally.
Heating accounts for around half of total energy consumption, and in Europe, the majority of this heat comes from burning natural gas, oil, wood chips, or waste. The sand battery technology represents a significant step forward in the storage and utilization of renewable energy for heating purposes, aligning with Finland's goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2035 by promoting the use of renewable energy and reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
In summary, the sand battery technology demonstrated by Polar Night Energy offers a promising solution for reducing fossil fuel use in district heating networks by leveraging renewable energy and enhancing grid stability. This pioneering project in Pornainen serves as a beacon of hope for a more sustainable and energy-independent future.
The sand battery, developed by Finnish startup Polar Night Energy, not only transforms the local district heating network in Pornainen but also bridges the industry and finance sectors, as Polar Night Energy aims to scale sand batteries globally, attracting investments in clean technology and energy storage.
As the sand battery effectively stores excess energy from renewable sources like wind and solar, it acts as a valuable asset in the energy sector, benefiting technology advancements and promoting a cleaner future in finance and the energy industry.
