English engineers have created a new hydropower system that generates electricity inside natural hills. The technology could be used across the UK in the coming years.
Hills are no longer just for country walks and winter time sledging, at least in the UK.
English engineers have developed a new ‘high-intensity’ hydropower system that stores and releases electricity from gentle slopes and hills. Water systems have traditionally used steep dam walls and mountains, requiring a ton of labour and resources that make them less than convenient to implement on a wide scale.
This new method, however, would allow for hundreds of energy production sites to be built across the country with minimal damage to the environment. They’ll be cheaper and quicker to create than regular hydropower dams and could help push the UK’s renewable energy efforts even further.
Think of the hill or slope as a natural ‘battery’ for the energy to be produced and stored in.
Water is moved uphill via pumps, and later released back down through turbines. These turbines spin, which generates electricity when needed. The key difference for this high intensity version is that it will use mineral-rich fluid that’s nearly three times as dense as water. This means smaller hills with less steep gradients can be used to produce much more energy.
Underground storage tanks larger than Olympic size swimming pools will house the fluid when it’s not in use, and surplus energy from the turbines will push the water back uphill. It’s all self-contained, making it an excellent energy source – no need for nasty, daily carbon emissions.
It has claimed that this could allow for 700 new sites, totalling over 7GW of energy storage. For context, the UK is expected to need around 13GW of flexible clean energy generation and storage by 2030 in order to balance the electricity grid sustainably.
The company’s chief executive Stephen Crosher also says each site could be built within one or two years, which is five times faster than traditional hydropower systems. The first plant is planned to be built by mid-2023 and crowdfunding is already underway.
The first few will be put together in disused mines and quarries with sufficient space, though the eventual plan is to move them closer to solar and wind farms where they’ll be buried in hillsides and invisible to the naked eye. They’ll likely go down a lot better with locals than wind turbines did back in the day.
We’ll have to see whether or not these hill systems take off. Anything that gets us closer to a fully renewable UK the better.
I’m Charlie (He/Him), a Senior Writer at Thred. I was previously the Editor at Thred before moving to Bristol in 2024. As a music and gaming enthusiast, I’m a nerd for pop culture. You can find me curating playlists, designing article headline images, and sipping cider on a Thursday. Follow me on LinkedIn and drop me some ideas/feedback via email.
Strikes from Russia early this year resulted in a breach in the Chernobyl’s radioactive containment unit. Now exposed, the IAEA is putting in a rush on repairs to prevent a new radioactive fallout.
39 years ago, a disaster occurred that would for the years to come be known as one of the world’s biggest nuclear accidents.
In late April of 1986, the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in what was...
Your humble bowl of cornflakes might carry more risk than you know.
We can all admit cereal isn’t the healthiest breakfast option – but it’s convenient and relatively inoffensive. Most simple options like cornflakes and shredded wheat provide a source of fortified carbohydrates and natural occurring nutrients. And if you avoid the super surgery brands like Krave and Coco Pops you’re starting the day with a convenient, decent meal. At least, that’s...
Madagascar's lemurs have little time left. The animals are facing a new danger from the urban elite of the country who are paying handsomely for their meat. How is this impacting biodiversity and ecosystems in the region and beyond?
A new study published in the Conservation Letters says that wealthy urban residents of Madagascar are eating the flesh of one of the world's most endangered primates.
Eating lemurs has gained...
A new report reveals millions of mums and children face quietly pervasive economic coercion – with family budgets being used as tools for domestic abuse.
Abuse isn’t always obvious – least not when it takes place in the domestic sphere. But new figures from the charity Surviving Economic Abuse (SEA) show that financial coercion is quietly affecting a staggering number of women and children. It’s a form of violence that remains underreported...
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.
0 comments
