MAROKO133 Update ai: Australia activates 1.6 GWh energy storage facility with 444 Tesla Me

📌 MAROKO133 Update ai: Australia activates 1.6 GWh energy storage facility with 44

Australia has just launched one of the largest batteries in the world, with a storage capacity of 1.6 gigawatt hours (GWh) and the ability to supply electricity to up to 200,000 homes during the evening peak.

The Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub is a battery and solar facility near Hillside, about 17 miles (28 kilometers) northwest of Melbourne’s central business district. It provides 600 megawatts (MW) of capacity and 1.6 gigawatt-hours of storage.

Co-owned by the State Electricity Commission (SEC) Victoria and Equis Australia, it features 444 Tesla Megapack units across three battery storage systems. Two systems reportedly have a 200 MW capacity and a 2-hour storage duration.

The third system delivers the same amount of power but with a four-hour storage duration. Chris Miller, SEC CEO, said that the hub is expected to add major storage capacity to the nation’s transitioning power system.

Australia’s giant grid battery

Equis Australia emphasized that the USD 730 million (AUD 1.1 billion) project was delivered on time and on budget. In addition to the 444 Tesla Megapack battery units, the site includes three Toshiba 500 kilovolt (kV) transformers.

It also includes a “world-first” underground 500 kV cable connecting the site to the National Electricity Market (NEM) high-voltage transmission network. As per Miller, the site sits at the intersection of major Victorian transmission corridors.

This enables stored energy to flow directly into some of the state’s busiest power routes. “The Hub will soak up excess wind and solar power during the daytime and shift that energy to the evening peaks when we need it most,” he noted.

SEC officials reported that the battery system stores energy when wind and solar generation across the NEM is high, and then sends that power back to the grid when demand rises or renewable output drops.

Powering peak demand

Construction of the facility began in December 2023. It created job and training opportunities for more than 1,200 workers. What’s more, around 20 per cent of the total working hours on the project were performed by over 70 trainees and apprentices.

During construction, the project prioritized local businesses. More than a dozen Melbourne-based firms contributed services and supplies, including electrical work, civil construction, traffic management, landscaping, and building materials.

“I commend our partner, Equis Australia, together with all suppliers, contractors, and delivery partners who worked tirelessly to deliver the Hub to market – on time and on budget,” Miller concluded in a press release.

Miller stated that the SEC’s USD 160 million (AUD 245 million) funding was crucial to the hub’s construction and helped it reach its full capacity. It is reportedly the SEC’s first investment under its initial USD 663 million (AUD 1 billion) commitment to develop 4.5 gigawatts of new renewable energy and storage capacity.

“Today’s milestone shows that when industry and government work together, we can deliver complex, large-scale infrastructure that strengthens the grid, creates jobs, and helps reduce power prices for consumers,” David Russell, Equis managing director, said.

🔗 Sumber: interestingengineering.com

📌 MAROKO133 Eksklusif ai: Russia Damaged Protective Dome Around Chernobyl, Can No

A multibillion-dollar dome built around the site of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear meltdown was badly damaged last year after a Russian drone strike blew a hole in it, sparking a fire and plenty of alarm.

Fortunately, officials arrived at the scene within minutes to put out the flames. But it was only the latest in a string of incidents plaguing the site as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine drags on, from Russian soldiers inhaling radioactive dust after entering a nearby forbidden zone to major blackouts forcing workers to switch to backup diesel generators at the disaster site.

While officials have yet to observe any rise in radiation levels in the surrounding areas since the February bombing, an inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency last week has shown that the dome “had lost its primary safety functions, including the confinement capability,” according to an agency update.

Fortunately, the IAEA’s mission also found no signs of permanent damage to its “load-bearing structures or monitoring systems.”

Yet substantial amounts of highly radioactive material originating from the 1986 disaster are still buried beneath the damaged dome, making it a precarious and potentially dangerous situation.

“Limited temporary repairs have been carried out on the roof, but timely and comprehensive restoration remains essential to prevent further degradation and ensure long-term nuclear safety,” said IAEA director General Grossi in a statement.

“The IAEA — which has a team permanently at the site — will continue to do everything it can to support efforts to fully restore nuclear safety and security at the Chornobyl site,” he added.

However, experts continue to warn of the dangers, including radioactive dust leaking out.

“If there was to be some event inside the shelter that would release radioactive materials into the space inside the New Safe Confinement, because this facility is no longer sealed to the outside environment, there’s the potential for radiation to come out,” Greenpeace senior nuclear specialist Shaun Burnie told the New York Times.

But it’s not all doom and gloom, especially considering the Soviet Era emergency confinement dome, which was hastily constructed immediately following the disaster, remains in place.

“I have to say I don’t think that’s a particularly serious issue at the moment, because they’re not actively decommissioning the actual sarcophagus,” he added.

More on the dome: Terrifying Video Shows Site of Chernobyl Meltdown on Fire After Drone Strike

The post Russia Damaged Protective Dome Around Chernobyl, Can No Longer Contain Radiation appeared first on Futurism.

🔗 Sumber: futurism.com