Old Coal Mines as Giant Batteries – Brilliant Idea or Engineering Nightmare?

Old coal mines could hold the key to one of the biggest challenges in the clean energy transition — long-duration energy storage. From gravity systems to underground pumped hydro and compressed air solutions, researchers are revisiting these vast, abandoned structures as potential “underground batteries.” But while the physics may be straightforward, the reality is far more complex. So, can we really turn millions of disused mine shafts into a reliable energy storage network, or is this another promising idea that struggles to survive in the real world? Help support this channel's independence at http://www.patreon.com/justhaveathink Or with a donation via Paypal by clicking here https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=GWR73EHXGJMAE&source=url You can also help keep my brain ticking over during the long hours of research and editing via the nice folks at BuyMeACoffee.com https://www.buymeacoffee.com/justhaveathink Reference Links Engineering with Rosie - Compressed Air video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_L8Px45I9Y Oak Ridge National Laboratory https://www.ornl.gov/news/transforming-abandoned-coal-mines-energy-storage-solutions Michael Barnard on Compressed air technologies https://cleantechnica.com/2024/05/07/compressed-gas-for-electricity-storage-claims-are-mostly-hot-air/ Article in The Independent newspaper https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/gravity-battery-mine-shaft-electricity-b2263572.html Article on NS Energy website https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/analysis/advantages-and-challenges-in-converting-abandoned-mines-for-energy-storage/ Gravitricity liquidation news https://www.solarpowerportal.co.uk/energy-storage/gravitricity-wound-up-voluntarily-with-under-8k-assets Hydrostor website https://hydrostor.ca/ Check out other YouTube Climate Communicators Simon Clark: youtube.com/user/SimonOxfPhys ClimateTown: youtube.com/channel/UCuVLG9pThvBABcYCm7pkNkA Dr Gilbz youtube.com/@DrGilbz zentouro: youtube.com/user/zentouro Climate Adam: youtube.com/user/ClimateAdam Kurtis Baute: youtube.com/user/ScopeofScience Sarah Karvner: youtube.com/channel/UCRwMkTu8sCwOOD6_7QYrZnw Beckisphere: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT39HQq5eDKonaUV8ujiBCQ Our Changing Climate : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNXvxXpDJXp-mZu3pFMzYHQ