Battery H2O

Battery H2O is an innovative approach for new green infrastructure projects on industrial waterfront sites.  It is a water battery storage device for renewable energy resources while also being a public park to anchor the redevelopment of Refshaleøen, a former shipyard in Copenhagen, Denmark.  In this park, people will come to gather, recreate and wander amongst a series of monoliths made from re-purposed oil tanker hulls, the most recognizable symbol of the Carbon age. This project utilizes pumped storage hydroelectricity power generation.  Through wind and solar power, harbor water is pumped into storage containers made from the re-purposed oil tanker hulls.  The water flows back into the harbor through hydroelectric turbines, generating power for a microgrid serving the Refshaleøen development. A regenerative site plan re-introduces a Baltic Sea coastal ecosystem and acts as a filter to cleanse the water of Copenhagen Harbor. 

Additional program is added to the site, creating attractions to draw visitors to this far-flung corner of the harbor and spur the redevelopment of Refshaleøen.

Project information

Storage Capacity: 80,000 Cu. M (water) = 25,929 KWH (electricity)
Structure:  (2) decommissioned oil tankers, disassembled and reassembled into (4) storage tanks and a control center.
Major Materials and Systems: (3) 1.5 MW equivalent vertical axis windmill water pumps, (3) 1.5 MW Francis Hydro-electric turbines, organically inspired corten steel armatures containing program elements and infrastructure.
Site Features: A park that re-introduces a Baltic sea ecosystem to Copenhagen Harbor.  The park includes the following ecological zones: Open Water, Sand Bar, Lagoon, Beach and Woodland.