HESS project meeting in Velenje, Slovenia

On May 26, 2026, another meeting of the project „Hybrid Energy Storage System Using Post-Mining Infrastructure” was held in Velenje in Slovenia. The meeting was attended by representatives of five entities involved in the project, including: KOMAG Institute of Mining Technology (Poland), the Silesian University of Technology (Poland), VSB Technical University of Ostrava (Czech Republic), Premogovnik Velenje d.o.o. (Slovenia) and Institute of Energy and Fuel Processing Technology (Poland).

The meeting began with a visit to the lignite coal mine, Premogovnik Velenje d.o.o., and an overview of the existing mining infrastructure and its potential use for energy storage purposes. During the meeting, the results of analyses concerning the use of post-mining infrastructure in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia for PSH and CGES systems were discussed.

The developed concepts for energy storage in PSH, CAES/TES, and CCES/TES subsystems were also presented, including their basic technological parameters, main equipment, and estimated implementation costs. An important part of the meeting was the discussion on technical challenges related to the adaptation of mine shafts, including issues such as ventilation, dewatering, sealing, and infrastructure reinforcement.

The meeting also included a presentation on the current status of the technical, economic, and environmental analyses carried out within Work Package WP7. Participants discussed the possibilities of implementing HESS technologies in other regions of Europe, while also identifying potential regulatory and economic barriers. The schedule for further project activities and dissemination actions related to the project results was also discussed.