South Africa’s Eskom resorts to grid-scale gravity energy storage

<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Gravity storage gets a boost from South Africa’s state-owned utility Eskom.</span></p><p><strong>From <a href="https://www.ess-news.com/2026/05/13/energy-vault-to-deploy-grid-scale-gravity-energy-storage-system-in-south-africa/?utm_source=linkedin&amp;utm_medium=post&amp;utm_campaign=scm" rel="noopener" target="_blank">ESS News</a></strong></p>
<p>Energy Vault has tied up a deal with Eskom, South Africa’s state‑owned utility, with a strategic development agreement signed to potentially deploy a 25 MW / 100 MWh grid‑scale gravity energy storage system (GESS) at the Hendrina Power Station in Mpumalanga.</p>
<p>The deal also formalizes a framework to “license, co‑develop and partner on up to 4 GWh of long‑duration storage deployments” across all 16 Southern African Development Community states, which include countries like Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Angola, Botswana, Tanzania, Zambia, and others.</p>
<p>The Hendrina site is one of Eskom’s oldest coal stations, and Energy Vault said it would deploy its EVx 2.0 gravity platform, using recycled blocks made from waste coal ash, which may weigh up to 25-30 tons each. The company also said its platform includes advances around software orchestration, mechanical operations, and construction automation</p>
<p>Robert Piconi, chairman and chief executive officer at Energy Vault, said, “By combining our breakthrough EVx 2.0 platform with Eskom’s extensive power generation, grid expertise and regional reach, we’re not only advancing long-duration storage at unprecedented scale but also pioneering a new model for sustainable industrial development.</p>
<p>No further details on project timelines or deadlines, financial information, or government support were made public.</p>
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