Anything that stores energy and releases it on demand is by definition a battery. In 2008, Swiss Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications visited Lac d’Emosson reservoir high up in the Alps. Then they chose a slightly elevated lake to the east of it and commissioned a Swiss water battery for renewable energy.
How Does a Swiss Water Battery Work in Practice
A water battery is a pumped storage scheme that moves water uphill using surplus electricity as driver. And then releases it downhill through generators during peak demand periods assisted by gravity. But if that moving water is energy – which it surely it is – we can compare this to a battery shuttling ions between electrodes.
However, there is a huge difference between this analogy in terms of scale:
- First, the Nant de Drance pumped storage scheme has installed capacity of 900 megawatts, equivalent to 400,000 electric car battery capacities.
- Then the turbine hall 1,970 feet below ground is the length of two football fields, and houses six turbines that become electric motors on demand.
- Finally, the upper storage dam holds more water than 6,500 Olympic-size swimming pools. The project cost $2.1 billion and took 14 years to complete.
The giant scheme is sufficiently powerful to stabilize Europe’s electricity grid, as the continent transitions to renewable energy.
A Massive Project With Perfect Timing
The Nant de Drance pumped storage scheme began generating when water poured down a shaft the height of the Paris Eiffel Tower a month ago. this had followed a complex route of 10 miles of tunnels through rock to reach the turbine hall below.
Nant de Drance uses variable speed turbines, allowing it to immediately supply energy to the grid while they work up to full speed. The transition is therefore seamless. That’s another big impact for long term renewables, and refreshing hope we can stop global warming.
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Preview Image: Nant de Drance Pumped Storage
