The Heat Vault Company
Weaponizing Nordic bedrock into Geo-Batteries to shatter the grid ceiling.
RESILIENT CITIES
A major focus of activity is the evolution of energy systems for Swedish cities and how Heat Vault and Cold Vault enable clean energy developments
HALMSTAD
To support a population of 150,000, Halmstad is transitioning from a linear "import-burn-dispose" model to a circular "harvest-store-refine" model, decoupling heating security from €6 million in annual carbon liabilities. This strategy centers on deep geological storage to manage the region’s volatile renewable and urban demands.
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The Heat Vault: This technology acts as a "grid shock absorber" during storm events—periods where offshore wind generation surges to 38.4 GWh, equivalent to two nuclear reactors. By converting this surplus into thermal energy stored in granite bedrock, the Vault prevents clean energy curtailment and price collapses, discharging the heat during winter peaks.
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The Cold Vault: Addressing a projected doubling in cooling demand (25–30 GWh by 2035), this subterranean asset provides "Green Cooling". It enables high-density developments like Stationsstaden to bypass grid constraints that would otherwise crash the electrical network during summer peaks.​
By repurposing "ghost capacity" from legacy industry and integrating these vaults, Halmstad transforms from a transit corridor into a net energy exporter and circular economy hub.
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UPPSALA
Uppsala faces a critical 80 MW grid deficit , stalling its 60% population growth target. The legacy incineration model is fracturing under rising carbon costs. The opportunity lies in shifting from combustion to energy curation.
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The solution lies in the Uppsala Renewable Nexus. For new development zones like Södra staden , the Heat Vault paired with Solar PV—targeting 100 MW —becomes the energy backbone. This system captures summer solar surplus and excess offshore wind to bridge the winter capacity gap with 90% efficiency.
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The Cold Vault thermally balances the bedrock, providing summer cooling for high-intensity life-science clusters without stressing the grid. By mandating that new labs act as thermal generators , Uppsala transforms new builds into "Energy Sponges" that recover waste heat. This transition decouples physical growth from carbon , powering a climate-positive production engine.
LUND
The "Solheta gemenskaper" (Sun-hot Communities) project is a feasibility study funded by the Swedish Energy Agency to explore techno-economic models for residential energy self-sufficiency. Coordinated by Sustainable Innovation, the initiative aims to build a system where a neighborhood purchases 0 kWh of heat during the winter.
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The core strategy involves harvesting maximum solar power during peak months and storing the surplus as heat in a Heat Vault high-temperature borehole thermal energy storage system (300 degrees Celsius). This energy is then distributed through a proprietary smart grid and local micro-district heating network.
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The project centers on the Börsagården community, with "sister areas" in Lund, Uppsala, and Arvika. Key partners include The Heat Vault Company, RISE, and various municipal entities. Beyond its primary thermal concept, the study will evaluate micro-wind, hydrogen, and battery technologies to address the technical, organizational, and legal hurdles of managing local energy communities. If viable, the model is intended for replication across thousands of similar developments
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GOTHENBURG
Gothenburg faces a critical Power Deficit as rapid industrial electrification outpaces physical grid capacity (Nätkapacitetsbrist). Despite abundant renewable energy, the city suffers from a 10:1 winter-to-summer demand imbalance, causing massive seasonal waste. Annually, 750 GWh of high-value thermal energy from the Renova plant and major refineries (Preem/St1) is vented during summer because local demand is too low.
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To resolve these systemic liabilities, Gothenburg is considering pivoting toward Ultra-Long-Duration Energy Storage (ULDES):
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Heat Vault: Transforms granitic bedrock into a city-scale thermal battery. It captures the 750 GWh summer surplus and low-cost wind/solar power, storing it at temperatures up to 300 degrees Celsius. Discharging this in winter satisfies heating peaks and removes massive electrical loads from the grid, freeing capacity for industrial growth.
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Cold Vault: Utilizes "Artificial Ground Freezing" co-located with LNG terminals. It harvests "waste cold" from regasification to provide zero-carbon cooling for the port’s food cold chain and data centers.
This strategy transforms waste into a strategic asset, enabling Gothenburg to meet its 2030 fossil-free mandate while securing industrial resilience
TROLLHÄTTAN
Trollhättan faces a strategic "paradox of abundance": while exporting 660 GWh of hydroelectricity annually, it suffers from a localized 15–20 MW power deficit that threatens high-tech expansions like GKN Aerospace’s SEK 600M facility. The grid is physically saturated at the regional interface, stalling industrial growth despite generating power "next door". Concurrently, the district heating network remains economically vulnerable to volatile peak-fuel costs.
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To break this bottleneck, the city is evaluating the Heat Vault and Cold Vault as "Non-Wires Alternatives":
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The Heat Vault: Transforms granitic bedrock into a GWh-scale thermal battery. It captures massive summer surpluses—including intermittent solar and industrial waste heat currently dumped into the river—storing it at . Discharging this as process steam directly services industrial loads thermally, bypassing the constrained electrical grid.
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The Cold Vault: Provides mission-critical "passive permafrost" cooling for R&D labs and data centers, ensuring operational resilience during grid outages.
This integrated strategy valorizes waste energy, stabilizes local grid voltage, and secures Trollhättan’s industrial renaissance through seasonal self-sufficiency
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