[geoffers]

The UK currently has only got 4 significantly sized pumped storage schemes (with a couple more in development), since we don't have many mountains.

However other countries in the Alps/Scandinavia etc can benefit from a large amount of electricity generated by hydro schemes where they have plenty of mountainous terrain.

This "RheEnergise" scheme potentially looks very promising for the UK and other lowland countries, using a fluid 2½ times denser than water which can potentially store 2½ times more energy (ie needing 40% less volume to create the same amount of energy), so presumably requires less than 40% of the usual height difference to create the same amount of energy too.

Maybe cost will be the deciding factor🤔 however their website says

At 8-hour duration, HD Hydro is half the cost of a lithium-ion battery system, without the fire risks and environmental concerns that batteries present.

https://www.rheenergise.com/press-release---rheenergise-success

[rwh202]

Yep, there are plenty of options for a gravity battery - think concrete filled wagons on a hillside railway line, or a deep mine shaft concrete 'elevator'. However, the simplicity, safety and scale afforded by hydro means it will remain the default for the foreseeable.

[geoffers]

@rwh202 - a couple more interesting LDES method are

• Compressed Air Energy Storage(CAES) https://storelectric.com/compressed-...gy-storage-uk/
• Liquid Air Energy Storage (LAES) https://www.brighton.ac.uk/research/...y-storage.aspx

[Indyk_EONNext]

Thank you for sharing @geoffers interesting to know if that the UK only has currently has only got 4 significantly sized pumped storage schemes, I wonder how soon this will increase over the years.