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Well the best solution is probably nuclear meeting the base load while solar helps with daytime peaks.
But otherwise pumped storage has promise. Have 2 reservoirs at different elevations connected by a turbine and pumps. When there is excess power durning the day, pump water to the upper reservoir. At night, let the water flow by gravity to the lower reservoir through a turbine and make power.
Transoceanic power transmission is just too expensive.
I'll assume you are unfamiliar with the size of Singapore and the geography of the Northern Territory.
Singapore lacks the space for pumped storage. Singapore's density is 8592 per square kilometre. Compare this to India at only 481 or the US at 37.
The Northern Territory in Australia is extremely flat and extremely arid, as such it lacks the topography to build water storage and the water required for it.
I doubt Singapore could meet its energy needs from solar even if every square centimeter was covered in solar panels.
But the point is, the pumped storage could be elsewhere in SE Asia rather than trying to transfer power from the other side of the planet.
Look, so solution is perfect. It is stupid to say “well that whole idea should be thrown out because it won’t work here.” That’s no different from anti-solar people saying we shouldn’t have solar because of clouds.
That's possible. You will still need to have the generation somewhere, and if you are going solar then the Northern Territory is an ideal location as it has very little rain and abundance of sunshine.
I'm not suggesting your idea is invalidated by the example I give. I'm simply pointing out that in this example, transoceanic electrical transmission isn't a bad idea.
When all things are considered in this specific example. The infrastructure cost is outweighed by the impracticality of Singapore generating solar energy.
The only way I can make sense of Lurker's comment is:
Assuming the above, this is a miscommunication.
Assuming anything else, Lurker's comment doesn't make that much sense.
I was referring to the comment that transoceanic electrical transmission is too expensive and impractical.
In the case of the NT - Singapore project, it is probably the most practical and cost effective option IF solar is the way they want to go.
Ahhh... okay, yeah. That also makes sense.
I know very little about this technology, so is there a theoretical maximum height to these water pump systems being used here? Could they not just build skyscraper sized towers of water?
They could, but that is expensive and a large tower doesn't hold much water when compared to a dam. Also the force of that water would require an extremely strong structure.
Most of the water battery solutions use natural formations to contain the water at higher elevations for storage.