Thursday, November 10, 2022

How a sand battery could transform clean energy - BBC Future

How a sand battery could transform clean energy - BBC Future - By Erika
  • The challenge is how to provide a year-round, steady power supply from renewable energy during changing seasons and variable weather conditions. 
  • The answer nestling in Vatajankoski power plant, 270 km (168 miles) north-west of Finland's capital, Helsinki, is remarkably simple, abundant and cheap: sand.
"The Vatajankoski power plant is home to the world's first commercial-scale sand battery. 
Fully enclosed in a 7m (23ft)-high steel container, the battery consists of 100 tonnes of low-grade builders' sand, two district heating pipes and a fan. 
The sand becomes a battery after it is heated up to 600C using electricity generated by wind turbines and solar panels in Finland, brought by Vatajankoski, the owners of the power plant...

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