The analysis of The Role of Critical Minerals in Clean Energy Transitions, published by the IEA on May, 5th 2021, vividly describes the greatest challenge facing the modern world: how to meet mankind’s rapidly growing energy needs in an environmentally acceptable way?
In a situation where renewable energy, which is becoming a new mainstream, has several times lower energy density compared to traditional fossil fuels. This means, among other things, a rapidly growing need for mineral resources. It is obvious that reaching climate neutrality, by utilising natural resources in a traditional manner, we’re clearly moving away from the original goal of climate neutrality – maintaining the resilience of the global natural environment.
Seems like a dead end – you can’t in the old way and there isn’t any new way?
Our opinion in the Energiasalv is that one of the solutions to this global puzzle is sector coupling and the actual implementation of the circular economy in every field, and massively.
An energy system based mainly on renewable energy cannot survive without storing energy, as a balance between production and consumption must be maintained at 24/7, notwithstanding there’s any wind or solar energy available. However, energy storage is a consumer in the power sector, so the more it’s needed in the system and the less efficient it is, the more additional energy generation is needed. Deadlock again? And more bad news, the batteries in cars and in the grid are the main consumers of valuable minerals among storage technologies.
Our solution to solve these deadlocks is Energiasalv’s Zero Terrain technology innovative pumped-hydro storage (PHS) technology. This concept, coupling mining and energy storage, addresses a number of the challenges of the new energy system: it has mature, resilient, long-term and efficient PHS technology, eliminating the biggest disadvantage of the PHS technology – need for mountains or rivers, minimizes the negative impact on the natural environment. And last but not least, this approach is known to be the most cost-effective way to store large quantities of energy, based on its innovative sector-coupling business model.
Energiasalv isn’t a theory or research paper, Energisalv is a real project with a design, sound business model and all necessary environmental studies, the construction of which will start next year and will followed by many other Energiasalvs globally. To preserve the Earth livable and to supply power in the most favorable way possible.
More information https://energiasalv.veebihai.ee/
