World's Largest Sand Battery Commences Operation in Finland

ArticlePolar Night EnergyNews

Finnish energy provider Loviisan Lämpö has commissioned an industrial-scale Sand Battery developed by Polar Night Energy in Pornainen. With 1 MW thermal output and 100 MWh storage capacity, the facility acts as the primary heat source for the district heating network and uses AI-driven dispatch optimization.

Key points

  1. Capacity and dimensions: The Pornainen battery provides 1 MW thermal power with 100 MWh capacity, standing 13 metres tall and 15 metres wide—ten times larger than the 2022 Kankaanpää system.
  2. Circular storage medium: Approximately 2,000 tonnes of crushed soapstone, a by-product of fireplace manufacturing by Tulikivi, are used as heat storage instead of virgin materials.
  3. Emissions reduction: The installation fully phases out oil in Pornainen's network, cuts wood chip usage by around 60 percent, and reduces annual CO₂-equivalent emissions by roughly 160 tonnes (nearly 70 percent).
  4. Heating coverage: A full charge covers nearly a month of local heat demand during summer and close to one week during winter.
  5. AI-driven market optimization: Elisa Industriq software automatically schedules charging and discharging based on electricity pricing and Fingrid grid reserve markets.

Why it matters

Thermal storage using industrial by-products delivers cross-sector integration between power grids and district heating without reliance on critical raw materials. Operating via automated price and reserve-market signals helps balance the power grid as intermittent renewables expand.

Analysis

The project marks a transition from pilot concepts to primary municipal heating infrastructure. It highlights circular economy principles by utilizing quarry waste while leveraging algorithmic dispatch to capture revenue on balancing markets, strengthening project economics.

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Summary generated by AI (Gemini 3.8 Flash, 27 September 2026). It may contain errors – the original source is authoritative.

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