Brazil built the largest gravity battery in South America — storing energy by lifting 35-ton weights up a mountain.
In the highlands of Minas Gerais state, a different kind of energy storage is running quietly and continuously. Energy Vault's gravity-based storage system uses excess electricity from Brazil's abundant hydropower and wind farms to lift massive concrete blocks — each weighing 35 tonnes — up a purpose-built tower structure. When the grid needs power, the blocks descend and the potential energy drives generators on the way down.
No lithium. No cobalt. No thermal degradation. No fire risk. Concrete blocks don't lose capacity after 1,000 charge cycles — they're concrete. The system delivers its rated output every single time, for a projected operational life of 35 years with virtually zero maintenance cost beyond mechanical inspection.
Brazil's grid has a specific problem that gravity storage solves elegantly: hydropower dominates generation but droughts reduce reservoir levels seasonally, creating supply gaps. Gravity storage charges during high hydro periods and discharges during dry season shortfalls — perfectly complementing the existing infrastructure without replacing it.
The Minas Gerais installation has 200 megawatt-hours of capacity. Construction cost 60% less than equivalent lithium storage. Brazil has approved three additional sites.
Sometimes the most advanced energy solution is also the simplest.
Source: Energy Vault Holdings & Brazilian Energy Research Office (EPE), 2024
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