Seeking a Site for the New Sand Battery Pilot

Polar Night Energy is seeking a site for its next pilot plant, which will test Sand Battery’s capabilities of converting stored thermal energy back into electricity. Construction is set to begin in summer 2025.

The project builds on the company’s innovative Sand Battery technology, which efficiently stores clean and affordable electricity as heat for industrial or district heating applications. This new iteration, featuring Power-to-Heat-to-Power (P2H2P) functionality, will enable stored heat to be reconverted into electricity, opening new possibilities for energy storage and grid balancing.

As part of the development, a small-scale pilot plant will be constructed to evaluate the energy storage system and its efficiency in converting heat back to electricity. Heat generated by the pilot will be supplied to district heating network or industrial facility. Testing is expected to continue through the end of 2026.

“We are looking for a partner and a location for the pilot plant, ideally within easy reach of Tampere, Finland. In return, the partner will benefit from the heat energy produced by the pilot and play a key role in advancing the energy transition and mitigating climate change”, says Veli-Matti Pietarinen, Power Plant Specialist at Polar Night Energy.

The terms of the collaboration will be tailored together with the partner. Suitable partners could include cities, municipalities, energy companies, regional development companies, industrial companies, or property companies. Polar Night Energy welcomes proposals from diverse stakeholders.

“It’s safe to say that this collaboration will get positive publicity. Our Sand Batteries have consistently attracted significant media attention, both domestically and internationally. Our previous pilot in Hiedanranta, Tampere, has been visited by outlets like the BBC, The Washington Post, Deutsche Welle, Sweden’s TV4, and Finnish Yle, Helsingin Sanomat, and Aamulehti”, says Miika Peltola, Communications Manager at Polar Night Energy.

The new pilot plant will measure approximately 30 meters in length, 8–10 meters in width, and 3 meters in height, and requires some amount of space around it. It can be constructed outdoors or in a large indoor facility, such as a hall. The pilot also requires at least a medium-voltage connection to operate.

“This pilot is a significant opportunity for both us and the entire energy sector. If successful, this technology has immense potential to reduce emissions, make renewable energy more reliable, and drive down costs,” Pietarinen adds.

The goal is to begin delivering commercial-scale Sand Battery power plants based on insights and results from the pilot.

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