How many mine shafts have a potential energy storage capacity?

The maximum recorded depth for any of the shafts is 1040 m and the maximum recorded diameter is 7.55 m. Fig. 5. The number of mine shafts (for which depth and diameter information is available) with potential energy storage capacities above different levels. 340 mine shafts have a potential energy storage capacity above 1 MWh. Fig. 6.

How many coal mine shafts can be converted into gravity storage units?

Using data from the United Kingdom Government Coal Authority Abandoned Mine Catalogue, it has been estimated there are 340 mine shafts that could be converted into gravity storage units with energy capacities above 1 MWh, providing 0.804 GWh of energy storage.

How much energy does a mine shaft provide?

However, the relative share of the energy capacity which is provided by mine shafts with energy capacities above 1 MWh actually decreases slightly, from 76.9% at 3150 kg/m 3 (cement), to 73.1% at 8050 kg/m 3 (steel).

What is the energy storage capacity of a mine?

From a maximum mass limit of 1000 tonnes to a limit of 10,000 tonnes, the total energy storage capacity increases from 0.48 GWh to 2.27 GWh. The relative share of the energy capacity which is provided by mine shafts with energy capacities above 1 MWh increases as the maximum mass increases, from 26.3% at 1000 tonnes, up to 89.3% at 10,000 tonnes.

Can gravity energy storage be used to redevelop abandoned mine shafts?

This paper has investigated gravity energy storage using suspended weights as a new technology for redeveloping abandoned deep mine shafts. It has been shown how to size of the suspended weight to maximize the energy storage capacity for a mine shaft, given its physical dimensions.