Inner Mongolia's first key laboratory dedicated to underground energy storage was officially inaugurated in Ordos on April 2.

Inner Mongolia's first key laboratory for underground energy storage launches in Ordos.[Photo/investordos.goinnermongolia.com.cn]

As the region's first provincial-level key laboratory in this field, the facility is backed by CHN Energy Shendong Coal Group. It will focus on repurposing abandoned mine shafts and underground spaces in coal mining areas for energy storage. Research efforts will center on three main technologies: gravity energy storage, compressed air energy storage, and pumped hydro storage. The goal is to turn disused underground workings into functional energy storage infrastructure, helping to address the growing challenge of renewable energy curtailment.

The laboratory is designed to support the entire innovation chain, from basic research to engineering applications.

Next, the lab plans to invest an average of 10 million yuan annually over the next five years and develop a 7,000-square-meter innovation platform. The initiative is expected to provide critical scientific and engineering support for repurposing abandoned underground mining spaces, advancing the development of a new energy system, and facilitating the nation's strategic energy transition.