Australia’s dryness may be its new energy source

Australia is the driest inhabited continent on earth, but new research might allow us to use this to create energy.

"Evaporation comes with a natural battery,"
study co-author Ahmet-Hamdi Cavusoglu says. 

Scientists in the US have developed a machine that can harness evaporation to create kinetic energy, which can be transformed into power.

Early modelling indicates this technology could generate almost 325 gigawatts if used in the US. In the National Electricity Market – which encompasses the entire east coast of Australia – in 2016-17 there was a maximum demand of 34.4 gigawatts.

Dubbed an "evaporation-driven engine", it is already achieving positive results and can double as a water-saving device.

Read Cole Latimer’s story in today”s Melbourne Age - “Australia’s dryness may be its new energy source.”