Switzerland Is Making Progress On The Construction Of An Advanced Reversible Hydroelectric Dam With A Capacity Of 900 MW. This New Structure Stands Out For Its Innovative Technology And Multiple Advantages.
Switzerland Is Bringing Innovation In The Field Of Renewable Energy With The Construction Of The Nant de Drance, A New And Impressive Reversible Hydroelectric Dam. With An Exceptional Storage Capacity, It Is Already Being Referred To As A ‘Mega Barrier‘. Located In The Municipality Of Finhaut, In The Saint Maurice District, And Approximately 14 Km From Martigny, This Hydroelectric Plant Represents A Significant Milestone In Terms Of Technology And Energy Sustainability.
New Hydroelectric Dam Has An Investment Of USD 1.9 Billion
This Is A Reversible Hydroelectric Plant In The Valais Canton, In Southern Switzerland. This Region Is Home To The Majestic Pyramid-Shaped Matterhorn Mountain, As Well As Hosting Refined Alpine Resorts. The Construction Of The New Hydroelectric Dam Involved A High Investment Of USD 1.9 Billion And The Project Has An Installed Capacity Of 900 MW.
To Put It Into Perspective, Only The Linth-Limmern Reversible Hydroelectric Plant Is Even More Powerful At About 1000 MW. In Addition, The Energy Storage Capacity Of The Nant de Drance Is Nothing Less Than 20 GWh. It Is Worth Noting That A Reversible Hydroelectric Plant Is Characterized By Having Mechanisms Focused On Storing Excess Energy For Later Use During Periods Of High Demand.
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This Type Of Hydroelectric Dam Operates Through A Pump-Turbine System, Allowing For Daily, Weekly, And Seasonal Operating Cycles. In These Installations, Water Is Pumped To The Lower Reservoir Generally During Periods Of Low Energy Demand To The Upper Reservoir, Using A Pump Turbine.
When The Stored Energy Needs To Be Used, The Process Is Reversed And Water Flows From The Upper Reservoir To The Lower, Moving The Hydraulic Turbines Along This Path And Generating Electricity. To Enable This Type Of Project, It Is Essential To Find A Location With Geographic Characteristics That Allow For The Creation Of Two Separate Reservoirs.
Advantages Of This New Hydroelectric Dam In Switzerland
One Of The Advantages Of Reversible Hydroelectric Plants Is Their Black Start Capability, Meaning The Ability To Bring This Hydroelectric Dam Online Without The Need For Large Amounts Of Electric Power. This Is Important, For Example, In The Case Of A Large-Scale Power Outage. The Small Amounts Of Energy Needed To Start The Train, For Instance, Can Come From Batteries.
Additionally, Reversible Hydroelectric Plants Can Be Brought Online Quickly. Thus, They Are Suitable For Balancing Fluctuations In Power Supply That Can Often Occur With The Use Of Renewable Energies. The Amount Of Energy Produced Can Be Influenced By Regulating The Water Flow. The Cost Per kWh Stored Is Lower Than Other Forms Of Storage.
New Dam Has Capacity To Store 25 Million m³ Of Water
In 2008, The Construction Of The New Hydroelectric Dam In Switzerland Began, Which Faced Several Challenges Before Becoming Operational In 2022. The Plant Is Owned By Nant de Drance S.A, Located 600 Meters Below Ground And Connecting Two Water Reservoirs, Which Are 300 Meters Lower.
The Upper Reservoir Has A Storage Capacity Of 25 Million m³ Of Water Equivalent To 6,500 Olympic Swimming Pools. To Completely Empty The Reservoir Would Take About 20 Hours.
Throughout The Year, The Systems Can Store About 20 Million Kilowatt-Hours Of Electricity, Corresponding To The Capacity Of 400,000 Electric Car Batteries. In This Plant, Water Can Be Released From The Upper Lake To The Lower As Necessary And Can Be Turbine Along The Way. The Reverse Path Is Also Possible, Water Can Be Pumped From The Lower Lake To The Upper.


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