A giant ‘water battery’ under the Alps could be a game-changer for Europe’s renewable energy. It’s a pumped storage hydropower plant providing the same energy storage capacity as 400,000 electric car batteries. The plant is equipped with agile, reversible turbines and can go from storing energy to providing electricity. Six turbines are stored 600 meters (1970 feet) below ground, in a giant cavern the length of two football fields. They’re powered by water cascading down a steel pipe taller than the Eiffel Tower. Using existing dam and reservoir infrastructure, the majority of the building work was carried out underground, limiting its impact on the landscape.
Climate Crisis Blog
