Switzerland’s underground “water battery” is now operational and running after taking 2 billion euros and 14 years to build.
Because workmen had to dig through more than 11 miles of the Swiss Alps, the project took so long to finish.
A water battery is made up of two huge bodies of water that are situated at separate elevations; in this case, they are situated in Valais, Switzerland, between both the Emosson and Vieux Emosson dams, about 2,000 feet below the surface.
Water can be pumped from the lower basin to the top pool using extra electricity.
Water in the top pool is permitted to flow back into the lower storage tank when energy demand rises.
Hydroelectric power is produced by turbines that are spun by flowing water.
Six pump turbines at the power plant can produce 900 MW of power.
The project, built by Nant de Drance, has a 20 million kWh storage capacity, which should aid in stabilizing Switzerland’s energy grid.
We’re told that it takes about 20 hours to drain the Vieux Emosson reservoir.
Recently, proponents of renewable energy have engaged in a lot of unconventional thinking.
Earlier this month, scientists from the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) published designs for a gravity-based system that would generate and store electricity using elevators in tall buildings.
We recently discovered that a Finnish company had developed a battery that stores electricity as heat in the sand.
To read our blog on “The largest battery manufacturer in the world is releasing a new battery with a 1,000 KM range,” click here.
