S. Himmelstein | April 24, 2024
The implementation of new sand battery technology is expected to improve the efficiency and sustainability of the district heating network serving the Finnish municipality of Pornainen. The system engineered by Polar Night Energy will have a heating power of 1 MW and can store up to 100 MWh of thermal energy for the district heating network operated by Loviisan Lämpö.
Source: Polar Night Energy
Crushed soapstone, which is a superior heat conductor relative to conventional sand, will form the thermal storage medium. The material is available as a byproduct generated in the manufacture of heat retaining fireplaces. Project developers estimate that construction and testing will be completed in about one year for the 13 m high and 15 m wide sand battery.
The system will be activated by the electric grid using charging algorithms developed by Polar Night Energy, minimizing the cost of electricity used for charging while meeting the heat demand of the district heating network. The thermal energy storage capacity corresponds to almost one-month heat demand in summer and a one-week demand in winter in the municipality.
An additional benefit of the flexible heating system is predicted to be a 70% reduction in emissions, equivalent to 160 tons/year of carbon dioxide, from the entire district heating network. Consumption of oil will be eliminated while the combustion of woodchips will fall by around 60%.
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