A SCOTTISH energy storage specialist is aiming to make its US debut after linking with a major American construction group in a bid to create more green projects at disused mines.

Edinburgh-based Gravitricity has signed an agreement with US conglomerate IEA Infrastructure Construction to seek funds jointly for renewable energy schemes.

The partnership aims to gain funding from a US government scheme, which has made $450 million available for clean energy projects at the sites of current or former coal mines in an effort to combat climate change.

Up to five clean energy projects will be funded at current and former US mines, through the $1 trillion 2021 infrastructure law, with demonstration projects expected to “provide knowledge and experience that catalyse the next generation of clean energy on mine land projects,” the US Energy Department said.

The White House also said it will allow developers of clean energy projects to take advantage of billions of dollars in new bonuses being offered in addition to investment and production tax credits available through the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

Gravtricity commercial director Robin Lane welcomed the news, adding: “The timing could not be better.

“Governments worldwide recognise the need for energy storage and also the requirement to find new futures for mining communities seeking alternatives.

“This mine-specific US initiative, on top of the already generous IRA provisions, make the States a particularly attractive destination for first-of-a-kind projects.

“IEA Infrastructure Construction has proven expertise in heavy civil, energy and infrastructure schemes and are the ideal partner for us to seek opportunities in this fast-evolving market.”

Gravitricity is an energy storage company which is developing below-ground gravity energy storage systems in the UK and Europe.

The groups are already advancing proposals for a mine project in Czechia, where they plan to store energy by lowering and raising a single massive weight suspended in the former Darkov mine.

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And in February, Gravitricity signed a memorandum with Czech coal mining enterprise DIAMO, where the two parties committed to work in tandem to seek EU funds to turn the decommissioned mine into a 4MW / 2MWh energy store – equivalent to the power needs of 16,000 homes.

The storage specialists have already demonstrated a scale version of their technology in Edinburgh – built in partnership with Dutch winch specialists Huisman – and now plan to build full-scale schemes in the UK and worldwide.

Gravitricity expects future systems could have a capacity of 25MWh or more worldwide, and estimates there are around 14,000 mines which could be suitable for gravity energy storage.