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2025 Vol.35, Issue 2

Technical Note

Analysis of Solid Gravity Energy Storage Technology for Evaluating its Applicability in Domestic Mines

중력에너지저장 기술 분석을 통한 국내 광산 적용 가능성 평가

Jeewon Lee1
,
Wusung An2
,
Jeongmin Cho3
,
Sangki Kwon4*
이 지원1
,
안 우성2
,
조 정민3
,
권 상기4*
1Ph.D. Student, Department of Energy Resources Engineering, Inha University
2M.S. Student, Department of Energy Resources Engineering, Inha University
3Undergraduate Student, Department of Energy Resources Engineering, Inha University
4Professor, Department of Energy Resources Engineering, Inha University
1인하대학교 에너지자원공학과 박사과정
2인하대학교 에너지자원공학과 석사과정
3인하대학교 에너지자원공학과 학사과정
4인하대학교 에너지자원공학과 교수
*Corresponding Author
30 April 2025. pp. 71-93
PDF XML Citation
Abstract

With the increasing share of carbon-free energy generation, energy storage system (ESS) technologies are gaining attention as a means to stably and efficiently utilize electrical energy. In Korea, battery energy storage systems (BESS) have been actively adopted and researched for grid stabilization due to their high efficiency and rapid response. However, concerns remain regarding fire hazards, supply chain risks, and waste battery management. To address these limitations, various safe and sustainable ESS technologies have been proposed. This study conducts a comprehensive performance assessment of multiple ESS technologies by comparing their advantages and disadvantages, lifetime, round-trip efficiency, storage capacity, and levelized cost of storage (LCOS). As a result, gravity energy storage (GES) emerges as a promising alternative. Among these, solid gravity energy storage (SGES) is highlighted for its flexible, scalable, efficiency, sustainable, safety, durable, and economical benefits. Additionally, to evaluate the applicability of SGES using domestic mines, the influence of different cable diameters and hoist power outputs on storage capacity was analyzed. The results reveal that cable diameter is the most influential parameter, with a 76.2 mm diameter delivering the maximum storage capacity. The places with storage capacities of 3 MWh or more were Jangseong Mines (2 shafts), and the shafts with storage capacities of 2 MWh or more were Samcheok Coal Mine (1 shaft), Hamtae Coal Mine (1 shaft), Yeonhwa Mine (1 shaft), Dongwon Coal Mine (1 shaft), and Handuk Iron Mine (1 shaft), a total of 5 locations. The places with storage capacities of 1 MWh or more were evaluated to be 16 shafts, and when the storage capacities of all shafts in the country were evaluated, it was analyzed that 60.52 MWh of electricity could be stored. The findings of this study aim to assess the future applicability of domestic mines for ESS implementation and to provide foundational data for rock mass stability evaluations and demonstration studies.

Keywords
GES (gravity energy storage)
ESS (energy storage system)
Mine utilization
Storage capacity assessment
Technology trend analysis

무탄소에너지 발전 비중 확대에 따라 전기에너지를 안정적이고 효율적으로 활용하고자 에너지저장장치(ESS) 기술이 대두되고 있다. 국내에서는 높은 효율성과 빠른 응답성으로 배터리 에너지저장장치(BESS)를 계통 안정화 ESS로 채택하고 활발한 연구를 진행하고 있으나 화재 위험, 공급망 리스크, 폐배터리 측면에서의 제약이 존재하며, 이를 보완하고자 안전하고 지속가능한 ESS 기술들이 제안되고 있다. 본 논문에서는 여러 ESS 기술의 장단점, 수명, 왕복효율, 저장용량, 저장비용의 종합적인 성능 평가를 통해 중력에너지저장(GES) 기술이 유망하다고 판단하였으며, 그 중에서도 유연성, 확장가능성, 효율성, 지속가능성, 안전성, 내구성, 경제적 장점을 갖는 고체 중력에너지저장(SGES)의 기술 현황을 분석하였다. 또한, 여러 SGES 기술 중 국내 광산을 이용한 SGES 기술의 적합성을 제시하기 위해 다양한 규격의 케이블 직경과 권양기 출력을 조합하여 저장용량에 미치는 영향을 분석하였다. 그 결과 케이블 직경이 저장용량에 지배적인 영향을 미쳤으며 76.2 mm의 직경을 사용할 경우 최대 저장용량이 평가되었다. 국내 광산 수갱의 저장용량을 평가한 결과 3 MWh 이상의 저장용량을 갖는 곳은 장성광업소(2곳)이었으며, 2 MWh 이상의 저장용량을 갖는 수갱은 삼척탄광(1곳), 함태탄광(1곳), 연화광산(1곳), 동원탄광(1곳), 한덕철광(1곳)으로 총 5곳이었다. 1 MWh 이상의 저장용량을 갖는 곳은 16곳으로 평가되었으며, 국내 모든 수갱의 저장용량을 평가할 경우, 60.52 MWh의 전력 저장이 가능한 것으로 분석되었다. 본 연구 결과를 통해, 향후 ESS로써 국내 광산 적용 가능성을 검토하고, 암반 안정성 및 실증 연구를 위한 기초자료를 마련하고자 하였다.

키워드
중력에너지저장
에너지저장장치
광산 활용
저장용량 평가
기술 동향 분석
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Information
  • Publisher :Korean Society for Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering
  • Publisher(Ko) :한국암반공학회
  • Journal Title :Tunnel and Underground Space
  • Journal Title(Ko) :터널과 지하공간
  • Volume : 35
  • No :2
  • Pages :71-93
  • Received Date : 2025-03-17
  • Revised Date : 2025-04-17
  • Accepted Date : 2025-04-17
  • DOI :https://doi.org/10.7474/TUS.2025.35.2.071
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