RheEnergise To Build First-Of-A-Kind Hydro Storage System
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Power Technology.
This is the sub-heading.
A demonstrator of the company’s long-duration hydro-energy storage system will be constructed at Sibelco’s Devon mine.
These are the first two paragraphs.
UK hydro-energy storage company RheEnergise is to build a first-of-a-kind demonstrator of its long-duration hydro-energy storage system at Sibelco’s mining operations at Cornwood, near Plymouth, Devon. The construction of the demonstrator will start soon, with commissioning scheduled in September.
The power generated by RheEnergise’s HD Hydro demonstrator, which has a peak power production of 500kW, will support Sibelco’s mining operations at times of high energy demand and help the company decarbonise its operations. The Cornwood site produces kaolin, mainly for sanitary ware, ceramics, tiles and industrial applications.
I have some thoughts.
A Short Construction Time
If RheEnergise’s timescale is correct and it is the same in RheEnergise’s original press release, then I can draw the following conclusions.
- Five months is a short construction time.
- I would suspect that the system can be built from readily available components.
- RheEnergise’s HD Hydro system, which uses a fluid with a specific gravity of 2.5 can work with standard pipes and turbines.
I wouldn’t be surprised, that the only difference between RheEnergise’s system and a standard water-based hydro system is the fluid and a few settings on the control system.
It might even be possible to check that the system works by using water as the storage fluid.
But that would of course shorten the testing time.
Could An Existing Pumped Storage System Be Uprated With RheEnergise’s Fluid?
Consider
- There are only a few small pumped hydro systems.
- The RheEnergise system needs to be sealed.
- The storage capacity would be raised by 2.5 times.
It is an interesting idea, but could be possible in some cases.
What Will Be The Storage Capacity Of The Sibelco System?
This is not stated, but typically a battery system has a duration of two hours.
So that would give a capacity of 1 MWh.
Could RheEnergise’s HD Hydro System Back Up A Wind Or Solar Farm?
Consider.
- Batteries are always a good addition to a wind or solar farm, as they stabilise the output.
- A lot would depend on the possible size of the RheEnergise system battery.
- The location of the wind farm is probably important.
An onshore wind farm on top of a hill might be an ideal candidate.
Conclusion
RheEnergise could be installed in a lot of sites.
The Anonymous Widower 