Using mountains as ‘water batteries’ could cut UK’s nuclear power need

By Adam Vaughan

Turning extra of the UK’s mountains into large “water batteries” could considerably cut back the need for brand new nuclear power stations and save the nation tons of of thousands and thousands of kilos, researchers have estimated.

New pumped hydro tasks, which use off-peak electrical energy to pump water uphill and launch it later to generate electrical energy, could save the UK vitality system between £44 million and £690 million a yr by 2050, based on a report by a crew at Imperial College London. The actual determine hinges on how a lot of the storage expertise is constructed …