Pumped storage | j energy systems, grids and smart equipment of


energy storage outside the trans-European energy networks”. It is estimated that Salto de Chira will increase


renewable production by 37%, reaching 51% of renewables in the average annual energy mix on Gran Canaria (a figure that at given moments of the year could be much higher) and reduce CO2 emissions by 20%. The facility has been designed with the utmost respect for the environment, as 91% of the infrastructure is underground, guaranteeing the facility has been blended into the landscape and thus minimising the visual impact. The power station will have an energy storage capacity of 3.6GWh which, once commissioned, will allow hydro storage using surplus renewable energy that cannot be integrated into the electricity system to pump water from the lower reservoir to the upper one, so that it can be used at a later date when needed. The project includes the construction of a pumped


Above: Construction is progressing at Snowy 2.0 in Australia despite recent setbacks. The project involves linking two existing dams, Tantangara and Talbingo, through 27km of tunnels and building a new underground power station


storage hydroelectric power station with a capacity of 200MW in turbine mode and 220MW in pumping mode, a seawater desalination plant and the associated marine works, as well as the necessary facilities for its connection to the transmission grid in order to evacuate the energy into Gran Canaria’s electricity system. In the Canary Islands, due to the fact that it is an


isolated island electricity system, energy dependence on non renewables is much greater than on the Spanish mainland. In 2022, renewable generation in the Canary Islands accounted for 20.1% of the final energy mix, compared to 43.7% of renewable generation in the mainland system. Therefore, it is a priority to achieve the objective established in the Canary Islands’ Climate Emergency Declaration to decarbonise its economy by 2040, which necessarily involves promoting and leading a profound change in its energy model towards a new sustainable one, based on energy efficiency and renewable energy.


Among other objectives, this project seeks to decarbonise the electricity system on the island of Gran Canaria, boost the development of renewable energy in isolated systems and the development of smart energy storage technologies with a 100% renewable cycle, both for the consumption of energy from renewable facilities for storing water, and for the production of electricity through the use of falling water. At the end of last year, it was announced that India’a


Greenko Group would be investing 10,000 Crores to set up a pumped storage project near Gandhi Sagar in the Neemuch District of Madhya Pradesh with a daily storage capacity of 11 GWh. The new project will enable the state to meet its statutory RPO (Renewable Power Obligation) and the recently notified ESO (Energy Storage Obligation) targets. This project is expected to provide employment to over ,000 people. Greenko currently operates over 50MW wind


and solar capacities across five districts of Madhya Pradesh. Greenko’s pumped storage project is expected to be commissioned by December 2024 and will be connected to the ISTS Network. In February, it was announced that, in partnership with the University of Greenwich and the University of Exeter, UK firm RheEnergise had secured a grant of £1


38 | March 2023 | www.waterpowermagazine.com


million from the UK government to help identify and test waste materials that could be used as part of a new form of pumped hydro-energy storage. The grant, funded through the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP) as part of the UK Government’s Energy Entrepreneurs Fund, will waste materials that could be used in the high-density fluid (HDF) that is integral to RheEnergise’s grid-scale High-Density Hydro® energy storage system. The HDF is an environmentally benign alternative


to water the company said, claiming that the fluid used in the system is 2½ times denser than water and is therefore able to provide 2½ times the power and 2½ times the energy when compared to conventional low-density hydro-power systems that rely on water and operate in the Scottish Highlands, Wales and across Europe RheEnergise said it can deploy its long duration


energy storage system beneath the surface of hills rather than mountains, opening up commercial opportunities in the UK, Europe and further afield. The new research project, funded by BEIS’s Energy


Entrepreneurs Fund (EEF), wants to identify suitable minerals and waste streams which can be recycled into the high-density fluid which can be locally sourced and are lower-cost, rather than having to rely on minerals imported from overseas. “The opportunities presented by the EEF grant


are phenomenal,” explained Stephen Crosher, Chief Executive of RheEnergise. “We are delighted to be able to lead and partner with two outstanding universities - Greenwich and Exeter. The project has the potential to solve three huge questions that affect people daily and globally: those of climate change mitigation, delivering firm power supply from renewables and how to use waste from other industries for new purposes, creating truly circular economies. “The government grant, from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, will help us to cut the operating cost of our hydro energy storage system, whilst increasing its sustainability. By using locally sourced waste materials, we can lower the costs of our projects, reduce carbon emissions from transportation and processing and create a new circular economy where none currently exists.” Graham Stuart MP, UK Energy Minister, commenting on the EEF grants said: “This funding will see the next generation of energy pioneers drive forward cheap and sustainable low-carbon technologies. This will not only deliver green jobs and lower the costs of energy to businesses but also foster world-leading solutions to net zero and economic growth.” Later this year, RheEnergise will start work on building a 250kW/1MWh (4 hours) demonstrator of its High-Density Hydro® energy storage system at a site near Plymouth (announced in November 2022) and is planning to have its first 5MW grid-scale project in commercial operation within the next 3-5 years.


Project updates A major pumped storage project currently under


construction is the Snowy 2.0, a project that has been described as Australia’s largest renewable energy project. It will link Tantangara Reservoir (top storage) with Talbingo Reservoir (bottom storage) through 27km of tunnels and a power station with pumping capabilities.


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