Hydro & renewables integration | Hydro flexes its muscles
Hydropower is gaining greater recognition for the important role it can play, as the global power industry recognises flexibility is key to delivering energy security for the future
THE SHIFT TOWARDS WIND and solar in energy generation is described as being the fastest transition in history, with the International Energy Agency projecting these renewable resources will account for 54–71 % of total global electricity generation by 2050. Although great for reaching net zero targets, if there isn’t enough storage capacity for such an amount of variable energy, power grids are at risk of having too much or too little supply to meet changing demands throughout the day, seasons, and beyond. Described as a monumental step forward and a sign the world is recognising the critical role of flexibility in delivering future energy security, over 100 countries have now committed to the Global Energy Storage and Grids Pledge which was proposed by the COP29 Presidency. It calls on governments and non-state actors to commit to a deployment target of 1500GW of energy storage, doubling grid investment and the development of 25 million kilometres of grid infrastructure by 2030. And now with COP30 on the horizon, industry leaders are calling for further endorsements and translation of these targets into actionable national plans. Eddie Rich, CEO of the International Hydropower Association (IHA), and Vice-Chair of Global Renewables Alliance, commented that a lack of long duration energy storage has been “the ignored crisis within the current energy crisis”. “COP29 was the first time world leaders acknowledged that the climate transition is not just about renewables volume, but also about the right mix and systems,” he said. “These global targets need to be urgently translated into national plans and projects to keep net zero within reach.”
Above: Malcolm Turnbull, President of the International Hydropower Association, says it’s not a choice between batteries and pumped hydro. “We need both, but we need to act now,” he urged
Australian pumped storage Pumped storage’s vital role of in securing reliable,
low-carbon energy systems was recently highlighted at a landmark series of discussions in Australia. Policymakers, industry leaders, and investors were brought together by GHD and the IHA to discuss the technology’s part in Australia’s energy future. As Penny Sharpe, Minister for Energy of New South
Wales, said, backing wind and solar with long duration storage will help to power households and industries across Australian states. But, she cautions, “we have to get it right”. “This revolution in clean energy is happening,” Malcolm Turnbull, President of IHA, said, referring to the fact that as they’re the cheapest form of new generation, Australia is rolling our solar and wind power at record rates because. “But we need to move just as quickly to deliver the storage - both short and long duration – to firm these variable renewables and ensure reliability and efficiency when the wind doesn’t blow, and the sun doesn’t shine. The market alone will not deliver this back-up energy, and much
18 | April 2025 |
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more needs to be done if we’re going to incentivise the development of long-duration storage needed to maintain reliability. It’s not a choice between batteries and pumped hydro, we need both, but we need to act now,” he urged. Tammy Chu, IHA Vice-Chair and Interim Executive General Manager for Construction at Hydro Tasmania, added that the synergies between variable renewable energy generation and pumped storage must be recognised and valued to support the development of efficient and reliable electricity grids, in Australia and internationally.
Convened in both Brisbane and Syndey, this series of discussions focused on the urgent need to scale up pumped storage as a “cornerstone of Australia’s clean energy transition”. Participants examined the markets and revenues, project development, and contractual risks associated with pumped storage projects to support financing models, policy frameworks, and regulatory barriers that must be addressed to unlock investment in new projects “Despite some hurdles, there’s a vast opportunity for pumped hydro to support our renewable energy future ahead of the hard deadline of coal power station closures,” Helen Barbour-Bourne, GHD’s National Sector Lead for Hydropower, said. For the energy transition to run smoothly, Anthony Garnaut, Chief Executive Officer at ZEN Energy commented that: “We don’t need to develop new technologies so much as to learn how to deploy proven technologies well. One of these old technologies is pumped hydro”. The wheels are in motion though. A point proven by the Australian Energy Market Operator Services’ recent announcement when selecting a pumped hydro project for the first time in its latest NSW Roadmap tender - nearly tripling the scheme’s supported energy storage capacity to 1.03 GW and 13.79 GWh, surpassing the 1 GW target. James Katsikas from EDF Australia said his company was dedicated to leveraging its global expertise to develop projects like Dungowan Pumped Hydro. EDF acquired the scheme from Mirus Energy in 2023. With 300MW and 10 hours of storage the new pumped storage plant will be positioned downstream from existing dam. And speaking about his company’s proposed Borumba Project, Kieran Cusack, Chief Executive Officer at Queensland Hydro said pumped hydro energy storage is “unquestionably the right technology to support Queensland’s clean energy transition”.
Indian policy EDF India has recently outlined policy
recommendations to enhance pumped storage development and attract global investors, in a move it hopes will assist with India’s long-term energy security.
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