Electric Truck Hydropower, a flexible solution to hydropower in
mountainous regions

Date:
March 7, 2022
Source:
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis
Summary:
Researchers have developed an innovative hydropower technology
based on electric trucks that could provide a flexible and clean
solution for electricity generation in mountainous regions.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Mountain regions have a large potential for hydropower that cannot be
harnessed effectively by conventional technologies. IIASA researcher
Julian Hunt and an international team of researchers developed an
innovative hydropower technology based on electric trucks that could
provide a flexible and clean solution for electricity generation in
mountainous regions.


==========================================================================
In our transition towards a more sustainable future, hydropower will
likely grow in importance as a renewable energy source. Despite its
potential, innovation in hydropower technology has been slow in the
last century.

Conventional methods used today rely on two connected reservoirs with
different water levels where the potential energy of the water is
converted into electricity.

In steep mountain regions, the potential for generating electricity from
a small stream of water is high, however, the hydropower potential of
these regions remains untapped as it requires storage reservoirs, which
have environmental and social impacts. IIASA researcher Julian Hunt and
an international team of researchers developed a new technology called
Electric Truck Hydropower that could become a key method for electricity generation in steep mountainous regions. The results of the study have
been published in the Energy Journal.

Electric Truck Hydropower would use the existing road infrastructure to transport water down the mountain in containers, applying the regenerative brakes of the electric truck to turn the potential energy of the water
into electricity and charge the truck's battery. The generated energy
could then be sold to the grid or used by the truck itself to transport
other goods. Electric Truck Hydropower could also generate electricity
in combination with solar and wind resources or provide energy storage
services to the grid.

"The ideal system configuration is in mountainous regions with
steep roads, where the same electric trucks can be used to generate hydroelectric power from different locations. This increases the chances
that water will be available," says Hunt.

The proposed technology is an innovative, clean source of electricity
that is competitive with solar, wind, and conventional hydropower. Cost estimates show that the levelized cost of Electric Truck Hydropower
is US$30-100 per MWh, which is considerably cheaper than conventional hydropower at US$50-200 per MWh.

The environmental impacts of Electric Truck Hydropower are also
significantly smaller than that of conventional hydropower.

"This technology does not require dams, reservoirs, or tunnels, and it
does not disrupt the natural flow of the river and fish passage. The
system requires only roads, which already exist, charging and discharging stations similar to small car parks, a battery facility connected to
the grid, and the trucks," explains Hunt.

When looking at the global reach of this technology, the research
team estimated that Electric Truck Hydropower could generate 1.2 PWh electricity per year, which is equivalent to about 4% of global energy consumption in 2019. The technology could harness the previously untapped potential for hydropower on steep mountain ranges. The regions with the
highest potential are the Himalayas and the Andes.

"It is an interesting electricity generation alternative due to its high flexibility. For example, if a country is in an energy crisis, it can buy several electric trucks to generate hydropower. Once the crisis is over,
the trucks can be used to transport cargo," Hunt concludes.

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by International_Institute_for_Applied_Systems_Analysis.

Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Julian David Hunt, Jakub Jurasz, Behnam Zakeri, Andreas Nascimento,
Samuel Cross, Carla Schwengber ten Caten, Diego Augusto de Jesus
Pacheco, Pharima Pongpairoj, Walter Leal Filho, Fernanda Munari
Caputo Tome', Rodrigo Senne, Bas van Ruijven. Electric Truck
Hydropower, a flexible solution to hydropower in mountainous
regions. Energy, 2022; 248: 123495 DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2022.123495 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220307091724.htm

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