According to information from Tomi Eronen, CEO of the company responsible for the sand battery project in Kankaanpää, Finland, a sand battery costs about $200,000.
This cost was cited specifically for the Kankaanpää installation, which serves as an example of this innovative thermal energy storage technology.
Comparing Sand Battery Costs to Traditional Batteries
One of the significant advantages highlighted by the company is the cost-effectiveness of sand batteries compared to conventional energy storage solutions like lithium-ion batteries.
Based on the CEO's statement:
- Sand Battery (Kankaanpää): About $200,000
- Lithium-ion Battery (same energy storage): At least $1.6 million
This comparison indicates that, for storing the same amount of energy, a sand battery could be substantially cheaper than a lithium-ion alternative.
Cost Comparison Overview
| Battery Type | Approximate Cost (for equivalent energy storage as Kankaanpää Sand Battery) |
|---|---|
| Sand Battery | ~$200,000 |
| Lithium-ion Battery | > $1.6 million |
Note: These figures are based on the specific comparison provided regarding the Kankaanpää project.
Scalability and Project Costs
The company also notes that sand battery projects are highly scalable. They state that these systems can be scaled up to store as much as 1,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of energy. While the $200,000 figure applies to a specific installation, the cost for larger projects would increase but potentially maintain a competitive advantage due to the low cost of the primary storage material (sand) and the system's design.
Practical Considerations
- The primary cost of a sand battery comes from the construction of the insulated silo, the heat exchangers, and the control systems, rather than expensive materials like lithium.
- The low material cost of sand makes scaling up the energy storage capacity relatively inexpensive compared to increasing the capacity of battery chemistries like lithium-ion.
In essence, the cost of a sand battery is presented as significantly lower than that of lithium-ion batteries for comparable energy storage capacity, with the technology being suitable for scaling to meet larger energy needs.
