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Pump hydro underground to store wind power

Posted by: Maven on September 2, 2009 at 6:22 am

From Clean Technica:

“Pumped hydro storage is a simple technology already in wide use. Pump water up a hill when you have available energy, let it fall when you need its power.

But Riverbank Power; a new start-up founded by a former wind developer who wants to develop large-scale energy storage, is trying out a new idea. Instead of using hills for the height, it will go the other way. Down into the ground.

Their Aquabank would let gravity drop water underground to turn turbines and make hydro electricity. That electricity would be sent from underground to the grid day time. At night, when excess wind is available; wind powered electricity would gently push the water back up to replenish its surface source.

Each project would use a source of water at ground level, an excavated cavern approximately 2,000 feet below ground and four 250-MW generators in a below-ground powerhouse. The surface footprint would be only 5 to 10 acres, mainly for the water diversion structure and transmission infrastructure. The underground footprint would be about 100 acres. …”

Read more from Clean Technica by clicking here.

September 2, 2009 · Filed Under Innovative Ideas

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