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"Pumped storage hydropower (PSH) is a fantastic tool that''s being used more and more by grids around the world to store excess amounts of electricity for when they need it," International Hydropower Association (IHA) senior energy policy manager Rebecca Ellis said during a recent episode of NCE''s The Engineers Collective podcast.
PSH involves two bodies of water at different elevations. During periods of low energy demand, surplus is used to pump water from the lower reservoir to the upper reservoir. When energy demand rises, stored water from the upper reservoir is released into the lower reservoir by flowing through a hydro-electric power station which produces energy.
There are two types of PSH: open-loop, when one of the reservoirs is connected to a naturally flowing water source; and closed-loop, when none of the reservoirs are connected to an outside body of water.
Arup director for energy Steve Saunders says it is a proven technology and that these assets have a long lifespan. This is evident in the UK market, as the four operational PSH plants in the UK – the 1.7GW Dinorwig, the 440MW Cruachan, the 360MW Ffestiniog and the 300MW Foyers, which have a combined storage capacity of 32GWh – have been in service for at least four decades. The oldest one, Ffestiniog, has been operational since 1963.
Ellis recently reviewed UK parliamentary debates and reports on PSH development dating back to 1942. She found out what was discussed when the development of Ffestiniog and Cruachan, completed in 1966, were being considered.
"These were seen as supporting nuclear, as it could be difficult and expensive to reduce the generation from a nuclear asset," she says. Ellis adds that in the 1970s there were discussions about the importance of long duration energy storage to provide for sudden heavy energy demands and to compensate for energy lost from plant failures.
Stantec hydropower and dams sector leader Craig Scott says the majority of PSH schemes around the world were constructed before the 1980s, with limited private sector involvement. He believes deregulation of the electricity market and various financial shocks in the decades that followed led to a decrease in investment in new assets. However, he highlights that "a new wave" of such projects began around 10 years ago.
There is now a considerable pipeline of projects at various stages of development in the UK, with the British Hydropower Association estimating that they could boost installed capacity by 6.9GW and offer 135GWh of storage.
This year has seen several announcements from energy companies on proposed schemes: Glen Earrach Energy plans to build a 2GW facility at the Balmacaan Estate in Scotland, a consortium of Gilkes Energy and SSE Renewables announced that they are developing a 1.8GW project at Loch Fearna, while ILI Group submitted planning application for the 1.5GW Balliemeanoch scheme at Loch Awe.
China is followed by Japan and the US, Saunders says, while Australia is starting to investigate PSH extensively. He points to Arup having delivered a PSH roadmap for the New South Wales government. Also in New South Wales is the under-construction 2.2GW Snowy 2.0, another notable international project.
The Dinorwig PSH scheme in north Wales is an example of such a project, as it made use of an abandoned slate quarry. Among the closed loop PSH projects under development are the Kidston Stage 2 in Queensland, Australia, which is being constructed at an abandoned gold mine, and the Silvermine Hydro in Ireland, which is in the design assessment and development consent phase.
Scott says a benefit of repurposing open-cast mines for PSH projects is the utilisation of existing infrastructure, with mine sites often having access infrastructure, electricity transmission grid connection and other services in place.
Turning pointCowi UK managing director Andy Sloan says the acceleration in the green transition is behind the renewed interest in PSH. "The last coal fired power station in the UK was recently switched off. We are on a trajectory towards a green energy future and I would say PSH is intrinsic to realising that future and maximise the benefits of offshore wind," he says.
Sloan explains that the challenge presented by renewable energy is its intermittency, as renewable energy sources cannot consistently produce energy at all hours of the day. This is where increased long duration energy storage is a solution.
Saunders agrees. "The main driver [for PSH schemes] is a need for a more balanced system. With the change to renewables, we need energy storage to balance out those peaks and troughs of intermittent supply. I don''t think we will achieve net zero with acceptable serviceability without more storage on the system."
Sloan adds that enhancing energy storage capacity is also important to "avoid abatement, where wind farm owners are paid not to generate", pointing to the plans to expand UK''s offshore wind capacity which could potentially lead to a surfeit of energy generated by this source.
Ellis emphasises the high cost of curtailment, noting that "in 2023 curtailment costs reached £920M due to grid limitations". A report for Drax, published in May 2022, found that curtailment in the UK stood at 2.3TWh in 2021, enough to power 800,000 homes each year.
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