1303 Environmental factors The environmental assessment of locations intended for gravitational energy storage systems should include not only an analysis of impacts on individual environmental components, but also the revitalisation potential of post-mining areas [19, 22]. These areas have already been significantly transformed by mining activities, which, on the one hand, reduce conflicts with sites of high natural value and, on the other hand, create opportunities for their purposeful reuse within the energy transition, particularly for the siting of today’s essential energy infrastructure [24]. In addition, secondary raw materials will be used to construct the demonstrator, in line with circular economy principles [25]. From an environmental impact perspective, it is important that GES technology does not generate pollutant emissions during operation and does not require chemical reagents or batteries, which constitute advantages over electrochemical technologies. Nevertheless, potential impacts during the construction phase — such as earthworks, dust emissions, and transport — must be considered. The actual environmental impact of the GES system designed as part of the GrEnMine project will be assessed during the demonstration. 3.2 Methodology for the evaluation and selection of potential locations in post-mining areas The methodology for evaluating the suitability of a site for RM-GES of CB-GES is based on criteria related to topography, conveyed materials, geotechnical stability, existing infrastructure, and environmental, social, and economic factors. As shown in Figure 3, the methodology begins by defining clear objectives and establishing selection criteria. Relevant data from Digital Elevation Models, geological-geotechnical maps, and environmental, financial, social, and regulatory sources are collected. Figure 3 – Flowchart presenting the proposed methodology for site selection regarding the installation of gravity energy storage systems (CB-GES or RM-GES) Subsequently, constraints are applied to eliminate unsuitable areas, such as unstable slopes or floodprone regions, thereby narrowing the focus to viable sites. Next, the viable options are rigorously evaluated using a weighted approach based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), in which expert consultations and pairwise comparisons determine the relative importance of each criterion [26, 27]. Finally, multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) is applied to assign normalised scores to potential sites, which are then combined using weighted overlay techniques to assess the suitability of each location for implementation of RM-GES or CB-GES technology. The methodology is then applied to candidate locations, and the suitability values for RM-GES and CB-GES technologies are estimated, culminating in the categorisation of sites as optimal,
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