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You probably know KGF due to "Rocky Bhai"
However, back in time it was the largest producer of Gold not only in India, but the whole Asia. Now, the government is trying to revive the rich historical mine.
Here’s what you need to know!
The legacy KGF
For more than a century, the Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) was a source of great pride for India. It was the world's second deepest gold mine and produced 95% of India's gold at its peak.
However, due to the high costs of mining and inadequate returns, KGF was closed in the 2000s.
Yet, a revolutionary concept could now revive its fortunes. KGF has the potential to become a "battery storage" facility.
The game-changing proposal
One of the main issues with renewable energy, from solar and wind, is that it's unreliable during periods of low or no wind or sun, leading to high power prices when backup batteries are needed.
A company, Green Gravity, from Australia, has a cool idea to make electricity from gravity. They want to use defunct gold mines, like the KGF in India.
Green Gravity's idea is to use low-tech gravity to store energy. They plan to haul a weighted block, as much as 40 tonnes, up to the top of a defunct mine shaft using renewable energy during the day.
When backup power is required, when the Sun is down, the heavy block will fall, under gravity, and the ensuing momentum can be used to power a generator or turbine via a connected shaft or rotor. And, hence, the electricity can be generated.
The potential of KGF mines
KGF's deepest mines run nearly 3,000 metres and have reportedly yielded nearly 800 tonnes of gold for 51 million tonnes of mined rock. The mines also have potential for energy production.
The deeper and broader the mine, the more power can be extracted. And the larger the mine, the more the energy storage capacity. Using weighted blocks means that decommissioned mines can be put to use.
Feasibility
Green Gravity will begin their first test of the system in mines in Australia later this year. Making the weighted blocks, designing and installing a braking system, and connecting it to the electric grids are the major costs of the enterprise.
The company has talked to officials at the Ministry of Mines and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy in India and tied up with researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines) to better assess the feasibility of the KGF mines.
The Novel Concept
By using Gravity as a source of energy to store electricity, it doesn't require the use of resources like water, land, or chemicals that other storage technologies may need. It can also mean less reliance on coal-produced power and access to reliable power.
Green Gravity's innovative approach to renewable energy storage could revive the fortunes of defunct gold mines like KGF, while providing a sustainable and cost-effective way to generate electricity.
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