A water battery equivalent to 400,000 EV batteries

Plus: Extreme solar activities are causing satellites to fall off their orbits Jul 04, 2022 [Blueprint]( One of the world’s largest batteries isn’t what you think. An enormous water battery, which can produce electricity equivalent to 400,000 electric car batteries, has commenced operation in Switzerland’s canton of Valais. The pumped storage power station took 14 years to build and cost €2 billion. It's an ecological battery that uses the same water over and over, and with the ability to store and generate massive amounts of hydroelectric energy, the facility will be one of Europe's main renewable energy sources. But before we take a dive into the reservoir, check out today’s video, which features a bike with two half wheels. It somehow works just as well as the original. Good morning. I’m Derya, an editor at IE. This is The Blueprint. Let’s get started. Be the first to know when IE+ launches IE+ will feature exclusive interviews, deep dives that go beyond the headlines, premium features, and more. Launching July 14 — don't miss out. [Claim your one-month free trial here]( [Play]VIDEO OF THE DAY [YouTuber builds a bike with two half wheels, and it functions just as well as the original]( [Bike.]( The experiment may be too complex to try at home, but it sure is fun to watch. [Must Read]MUST READ [Switzerland's 20 million kWh 'water battery' that took 14 years to build is now operational]( [Water battery.]( A 900 MW “water battery” that cost Switzerland €2 billion and was under construction for 14 years [is now operational](. The battery is located nearly 2,000 feet (600 m) underground in the Swiss Alps. How does it work? A water battery consists of two large pools of water, located at different heights. When power production is high, excessive power is used to move water from the lower pool to the pool at a higher height, which is similar to charging a conventional battery. When power demand increases, the water at the higher level can be released, and as it heads to the lower pool, it passes through turbines that generate electricity. → The Swiss water battery has a storage capacity of 20 million kWh, the equivalent of 400,000 electric cars. The plant has six turbines that can generate 900 MW of power. At its peak, it can power 900,000 homes at a time. The concept might sound new, but it has been in use in Switzerland for centuries. The U.S. has also been using this method for close to a century now, while China recently [decided to build 270 GW of storage capacity]( by 2025. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Linkedin]( [TRANSPORTATION]TRANSPORTATION [A hacked Tesla Model S Plaid achieves a record-breaking speed of 216 mph]( The Tesla Model S Plaid has an official top speed of 175 mph (281 km/h). But [what if it could go faster]( That's a question a man called Guillaume André asked as he proceeded to get behind the wheel of a white Tesla Model S Plaid at the Trois-Rivières airport in Québec, Canada. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( And Other Stories in Transportation - “Spaghetti Junction”: [The world's most iconic interchange]( just turned 50. - [A 300-meter nuclear megayacht project]( wants to save the Earth. - A real-life X-Wing? [Meet the Sikorsky X-Wing](. [SCIENCE]SCIENCE [Extreme solar activities are causing satellites to fall off their orbits]( In the last few years, a strange phenomenon that can be attributed to the sun's mood swings [has been making satellites fall out of their orbits]( at increasingly alarming rates. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( And Other Stories in Science - Here’s how technology [helps scientists explore Amazonian biodiversity]( without human interference. - A team of MIT researchers [has made hydrogen fuel]( from aluminum and water. - How can we [terraform and make a garden on Mars]( [MAIL & MUSINGS]MAIL & MUSINGS Before we can switch to 100 percent renewable energy, we need to solve the problem of storage. Which ingenious storage idea is your favorite? [Storing energy as gravitational potential energy.]( [Using liquified air to store energy sounds good.]( [How about storing energy as kinetic energy?]( [Pumped hydro all the way!]( YESTERDAY'S RESULTS We asked whether you think the U.S.’ advanced missile systems will make a difference in the course of the Russo-Ukrainian war. According to 32 percent of you, Ukraine needs more support. 33% Ukraine needs more support. 30% Yes. These advanced missile systems are promising. 27% I don’t think there’ll be a significant change. 10% I’m not sure, but I don’t think so. [QUOTE OF THE DAY]QUOTE OF THE DAY "The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom the emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand wrapped in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed." Albert Einstein in “Living Philosophies” Simon and Schuster, New York 1931 [THINGS WE LOVE]THINGS WE LOVE [image]( [Flip 5 Waterproof Portable Bluetooth Speaker]( [image]( [Vortex Diamondback HD Binoculars]( [image]( [Bonsenkitchen Ice Maker]( [image]( [Astro AI Portable Freezer]( [AND ANOTHER THING]AND ANOTHER THING - Make your living room super-attractive with these [nine simple DIY tricks](. - Climate change is shifting how plants evolve. [Seed banks may have to adapt, too](. (Gizmodo) - A stratospheric balloon [will lift NASA telescope over Antarctica](. - Cattle ranching is pushing the Amazon to the edge of what scientists warn [could be a vast and irreversible dieback]( that claims much of the biome. (The Washington Post) - A breakthrough algorithm developed in the U.S. [can predict crimes a week ahead](. - Off the shelf, above the fight: How cheap drones [are completely changing warfare](. (Task and Purpose) - There's an app for that: An A.I. [uses the sound of urine stream]( to monitor urological health. Prepared by Derya Özdemir Enjoy Reading? Forward this email to a friend. Was this email forwarded to you? [Join Free!]( [About Us]( [Advertise]( [Contact Us]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Youtube]( [Linkedin]( [Instagram]( You are receiving this email because you have subscribed to our newsletter. 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