CB-GES cost structure is dominated by conventional industrial subsystems, primarily: (i) the conveyor line (belt, idlers, pulleys, steel structure, foundations), (ii) the electro-mechanical conversion set (motor–generator, variable frequency drive, grid interface transformer), and (iii) the material handling infrastructure supporting loading, discharge control, and stockpile management. From an operational perspective, the system incurs routine operational and maintenance (O&M) for belt wear, idler and bearing replacement, lubrication, and inspection-cost elements that are familiar in mining conveying practice and tend to be predictable at scale. Economically, the CB-GES concept benefits from two fundamental scaling properties: the energy capacity is increased primarily through larger stockpiles and height difference, while the power rating scales through conveyor throughput (belt speed and load). This decoupling of energy and power reflects the cost logic of many longduration storage technologies, where energy capacity expansion can be comparatively inexpensive once the main power unit is installed (U.S. DOE, 2024). In order to reflect real post-mining deployment conditions, two scenarios are evaluated: (a) New installation of CB-GES, where all conveyor infrastructure is installed, and (b) CB-GES, where disused mine conveyors and existing infrastructure can be reused. As shown in Figure 4, the second option has been demonstrated to substantially reduce CAPEX, thus decreasing LCOS and aligning with the concept of reutilizing existing equipment and infrastructure. In order to perform a benchmarking analysis, CB-GES is compared against two other systems, the lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery systems and the pumped storage hydropower (PHS) as shown in Figure 4. Figure 4- Variation of the levelized storage cost (LCOS) for different energy storage technologies and position of CBGES under different infrastructure reuse scenarios. The economics of LFP batteries have improved rapidly, driven by expansion in the supply chain and a decline in prices. This has strengthened LFP as a reference case for LCOS competitiveness (Ember, 2025; Lazard, 2025). PSH is considered to be a mature and durable longduration technology. However, it is often constrained by large civil works requirements, permitting complexity, and site-specific cost uncertainty (CSIRO, 2024). In this comparative framing, the CBGES assessment indicates that new-build 5MW CB-GES systems approach the LCOS levels typically associated with utility-scale LFP installations, while CB-GES systems utilising existing 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 Pumped hydro storage (PHS) LFP Batteries CB-GES 1MW (new installation) CB-GES 1 MW (disused conveyor) CB-GES 5MW (new installation) CB-GES 5MW (disused conveyor) CB-GES 10MW (new installation) CB-GES 10MW (disused conveyor) LCOS €/MWh Energy storage technology
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