Finland's Sand Battery Offers Solution to Renewable Energy Intermittency
In Finland, a small town named Pornainen has implemented the world's largest commercial sand battery to address the issue of renewable energy intermittency. This innovative facility, developed by Polar Night Energy, uses 2,000 metric tons of crushed soapstone to store clean energy in the form of heat, providing 100 megawatt-hours of thermal energy. This capacity is sufficient to meet the town's heating demands for nearly a month in summer and a week in winter. The sand battery, commissioned by Finnish district heating company Loviisan Lämpö, aims to reduce carbon emissions and reliance on fossil fuels. The project has reportedly cut greenhouse gas emissions by almost 70% and decreased the use of wood chips by about 60%. The sand battery technology operates by storing heat generated from excess wind or solar power, which can then be used when energy demand is high. 
