1297 TRANSFORMING POST-MINING AREAS FOR GRAVITATIONAL ENERGY STORAGE: POTENTIAL, CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS *P. Moczko1, L. Antošová10, A. Bajcar2, M. Cała3, T. Dobosz1, M. Galetakis5, Z. Kasztelewicz3, M. Korbut4, M. Kowalczyk1, M. Lazar6, M. Małachowski8, V. Moni10, D. Najgebauer4, A. Ostręga3, S. Papagiannidou9, I. Predoiu7 A. Stopkowicz3, J. Jakóbczyk3 1Department Wroclaw University of Science & Technology, (*Presenting author: przemyslaw.moczko@pwr.edu.pl) 2“Poltegor-Instytut" Instytut Górnictwa Odkrywkowego; 3AGH University of Krakow; 4PGE Górnictwo i Energetyka Konwencjonalna S.A.; 5Technical University of Crete; 6University of Petrosani; 7Oltenia Energy Complex S.A.; 8Four Point Sp. z o.o. TerraEye; 9IGNITORICHIA ACHLADAS S.A.; 10VUHU a.s. ABSTRACT This article explores the potential of post-mining areas as locations for innovative gravity energy storage (GES)systems: RM-GES (Rail-Mounted) and CB-GES (Conveyor-Belt). The assumptions behind these new technologies are also presented, including their scale, technical solutions, and basic technical and operational parameters. The potential locations for such energy storage facilities are presented, along with the criteria used to evaluate them and determine their suitability for the proposed technology. The social context of reusing these areas, resulting from the energy transition, is also discussed. KEYWORDS Energy transition, gravity energy storage, post-mining areas 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 The reasons and goals of energy transition and the resulting need for energy storage The global energy transition is a fundamental challenge and objective for energy systems, aiming to achieve deep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining a secure and reliable energy supply. Its primary driver is mitigating climate change by gradually replacing fossil-fuel-based energy generation with low-carbon alternatives, particularly renewable energy sources [1, 2]. In the European Union, the transformation of the energy system is supported by legally binding climate neutrality targets for 2050 and intermediate targets for renewable energy deployment [3]. During 2022–2024, renewable energy sources accounted for approximately 25 % of electricity generation in the EU, with a binding target to increase renewable energy to 42.5 % of final energy consumption by 2030 [4]. Wind and solar energy have become the dominant sources of new generation capacity, reflecting rapid technological development and declining costs [5]. However, wind and solar power are inherently variable and only partially predictable, resulting in temporal imbalances between electricity generation and demand. As highlighted by recent system analyses, the demand for energy storage is strongly correlated with the share of renewable energy in the power system, which currently stands at approximately 25 % globally [6]. Increasing the share of renewable energy sources, therefore, requires a substantial expansion of energy storage capacity to maintain system reliability and operational flexibility. According to European studies, installed storage capacity must increase from approximately 89 GW in 2025 to around 200 GW by 2030 and to approximately 600 GW by 2050 to support a highly renewable European electricity system [6, 7]. At the same time, the energy capacity of storage systems is projected to grow significantly, reaching up to 30% of total electricity demand in the EU by 2050 (approximately 2,189 TWh), up from around 11% in 2021 [6]. These numbers underline the critical role of energy storage as an
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