1 5 under operating conditions, providing essential data for further upscaling and commercial deployment. Beyond its technical scope, GrEnMine explicitly addresses environmental and socioeconomic aspects of the energy transition. By enabling the reuse of post-mining areas, the project supports the concept of transforming post-mining sites into active components of future energy systems. The proposed gravity energy storage technology is characterised by high expected efficiency, fast response times, long service life, and the absence of electrochemical degradation or hazardous materials. As such, it offers a sustainable and socially acceptable pathway for revitalising mining regions while contributing to the flexibility and resilience of renewable-based power systems. 2.2 General data on potential energy storage locations in individual countries Across Europe, the scars of coal and lignite extraction are being reimagined as engines of a renewable future. Vast open‑pit mines, towering overburden dumps, and reclaimed quarries offer a rare combination of large elevation differences, existing grid connections, and industrial access—conditions ideally suited to gravitational energy storage. Rather than filling pits or stabilising spoil heaps at great cost, developers can install modular RM‑GES systems that lift and lower mass to store and release electricity, turning former liabilities into long‑duration assets. Poland’s lignite basins, from Bełchatów’s deep excavations to extensive spoil ridges, exemplify sites where head and proximity to high‑capacity substations make rapid deployment feasible. Greece’s mosaic of active and reclaimed mines and hundreds of aggregate quarries presents a distributed opportunity for regional balancing and seasonal storage. Germany and the Czech Republic add further scale and technical know‑how, creating a network of potential installations that can support grid stability, frequency services, and capacity markets. The appeal of RM‑GES lies in its simplicity and modularity. Systems can be adapted to slope geometry, relocated as mining operations evolve, and scaled to match local demand profiles. Technical challenges—geotechnical stability, groundwater interactions, and permitting—are manageable with targeted surveys, staged pilots, and early stakeholder engagement. Economically, RM‑GES competes where the value of long‑duration storage is recognised and where existing infrastructure reduces connection costs. Repurposing mining landscapes for gravitational storage reframes reclamation as an opportunity. By aligning engineering pragmatism with regional planning and community benefits, former extraction sites can become visible symbols of transition—landmarks where industrial heritage meets renewable resilience. 2.3 Database of potential locations for GES Within the GrEnMine project, a comprehensive geospatial database of selected postmining areas in five European countries has been developed to assess their suitability for Gravitational Energy Storage (GES) technologies. The database serves as a strategic decisionsupport tool that integrates geological, geotechnical, spatial, infrastructure, and socio-economic data within a unified relational-spatial framework.
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