Speakers
Description
L. Serafini, S. Samsam, M. Rossetti – INFN/Milano
L. Pellegrino – INFN/LNF
Energy reservoirs are an ongoing challenge for renewable/green energy production systems based on non-programmable sources, like wind or solar energy. Several solutions are being studied and implemented, from hydro-reservoirs to mechanical energy storages, from hydrogen to electrical batteries.
Gravity batteries are also being tested: here we present a conceptual study of an underwater gravity battery park in deep sea waters, that we name Gravidro, which appears well suitable to be scalable towards very large energy levels, that is the TWh scale (a few Peta-Joules).
Gravidro involves well established technologies and negligible ecological impact, joined to no usage of land and extremely low accident relevance even in case of severe faults.
At the TWh energy level, for a mid-size developed country consuming routinely 30 GW of electrical power, besides maintaining the available energy continuity on a day by day basis as well as the seasonal energy coverage, Gravidro could guarantee a stored energy sufficient to
run for a day even in case of a severe electrical black-out.
Gravidro parks would make intermittent energy generation systems (solar, wind) the most favourable source of green/renewable energy, aiming to strongly reduce the usage of fossil sources or nuclear fuel.
