We have seen many battery inventions that have surprised in recent times, such as the case of the vegetable battery that will be used in the cars of the future. However, what is happening with a 100 MW battery is impressive. It defies the laws of the universe. It is unique on the planet and causes concern. The need we have for renewables is latent, but we must not forget about storage either.
Many of the renewable energy sources we turn to provide energy intermittently, such as wind and solar power. For this reason, there is a need for powerful batteries that can provide the user with what they need in times of energy shortages.
This term is usually associated with car batteries or the batteries we use to charge our cell phones and other electronic devices, but it encompasses much more. In fact, there is a Swiss company that is betting heavily on the field of energy storage and has an invention that will surprise you. It is the largest battery in the world and the beginning of a new era.
Energy Vault battery causes a furor: many are afraid of it
Energy Vault, the Swiss company we are talking about, is dedicated to various forms of energy storage. Their systems include gravity energy storage systems (GESS), which they have ‘baptized’ as EVx. If you see their batteries from the outside you would never think that it is a battery, but rather concrete block buildings.
The firm harnesses gravity and kinetic energy with a method of automated weights. A system that is easy to understand and manages to harness energy, with absolutely nothing being lost. For example, when someone uses wind energy, they only have energy when there is wind, so there are times when they have a surplus of energy and other times when they feel a lack of it.
With the Energy Vault mechanism, you can always have energy. The technology uses this surplus energy to power a mechanical crane that lifts special blocks to a great height. There they are suspended until they run out of energy and need to be recovered.
It is then that the loads slide down, activating a system of cables and turbines that produce electricity.
China enjoys the most famous battery of the moment
The debut of this imposing piece was in China, a corner of the world where the company started “the first phases of the commissioning of the gravity energy storage system (GES), Evs at grid scale”.
Specifically, we can find this system on the outskirts of Shanghai, in Rudong, China, right next to a wind farm and an interconnection network with the Chinese power grid. It has a capacity of 25 MW/ 100 MWh.
This first proposal was not the only one. As a result of its success, this project came hand in hand with another identical method with a capacity of 100 MWh in Huailai County, Hebei Province, China. It will be located in the city of Cunrui and represents the company’s desire to further establish this technology.
Battery that defies the laws of the universe is cause for concern
Major technology manufacturers, such as the United States, are watching this triumphant system with concern. China is gaining power with it and we could be at the beginning of a new era. Quietly, the company continues to make giant strides amid a context of energy transition that is sweeping all ends of the earth.
In short, this 100 MW battery is a cause for concern and promises to continue to be the talk of the town. Something similar to what is happening with the superbattery that you can install NOW in your car. It is better than the electric one and transforms it into a zero-emission model.
