Advanced 'high-density waterless hydro' energy plant gets green light

RheEnergise's HD Hydro 500 kW demonstrator will soon begin construction at mining company Sibelco's facility in Cornwood outside Plymouth in Devon, UK.

Hydroelectric power systems are the world's leading eco-friendly means of electricity production, accounting for 4,300 terawatt hours (TWh) of output or 15 percent of all electricity. Even though hydroelectrics have expanded in recent years, there's not much room for expansion – potential sites in practical locations are largely saturated.

That's because traditional hydro needs a large body of reliable water, with a high enough head for efficient electricity generation. If you live in the Pacific Northwest, you can run the entire region on hydroelectric, but if you're in Florida, you're a bit out of luck.

The same limitation is true for systems that store solar or wind energy by pumping water into reservoirs. If the system losses are reasonable, it's a sound idea, but not if you can't pump the water high enough, in large enough quantities.

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