Pumped storage |
Recharging the water batteries
The future still looks bright for global pumped storage, but policy concerns that could hinder full utilisation of this increasingly important technology still need to be addressed
Right: Looking down from the Cruachan Dam, part of the pumped storage hydroelectric power station in the remote West Highlands of Scotland
Below: First Minister of Scotland Humza Yousaf MSP is concerned that investor confidence in pumped storage development is being dampened, preventing projects from coming forward © Altopix /
Shutterstock.com
PUMPED STORAGE HAS TREMENDOUS potential to increase globally and can even be developed in areas where there is limited opportunity to pursue conventional hydropower projects. Although these water batteries, according to the International Hydropower Association (IHA), will prove to be a vital part of future hydropower development, important policy recommendations still need to be considered to ensure the technology is fully utilised in a renewable- dominated energy landscape. In its recently published 2023 World Hydropower Outlook report, IHA says such considerations include: Comprehensive planning – policymakers must anticipate long-term clean electricity requirements. Site identification – systematic mapping and assessment of existing and potential sites suitable for pumped storage is necessary to guide sustainable infrastructure development and inform energy policy decisions. Sustainability assessment– rigorous sustainability evaluations using internationally recognised assessment tools should be integrated into development processes. Financial frameworks – robust financial policy mechanisms need to incentivise pumped storage developers and enable long-term revenue visibility. Furthermore, electricity markets should reward grid stability contributions provided by pumped storage and allow its inclusion in green finance initiatives. In the UK, various bodies are calling on the government to provide such a supportive policy
16 | July 2023 |
www.waterpowermagazine.com
framework to encourage investment in pumped storage development. Although a new facility hasn’t been commissioned here since 1984, there are currently six projects being developed which could substantially contribute to the UK government’s power decarbonisation target and security of energy supply by 2035. Currently under development in Scotland, these six new projects are set to more than double the UK’s capacity for pumped storage hydro to 7.7GW, create almost 15,000 jobs, and generate up to £5.8 billion for the UK economy, according to a new report by Scottish Renewables and BiGGAR Economics. Entitled ‘The Economic Impact of Pumped Storage
Hydro’, the report studied the Cruachan Expansion and Balliemeanoch projects, both in Argyll and Bute, Corrievarkie in Perth and Kinross, Glenmuckloch in Dumfries and Galloway, and Red John and Coire Glas in the Scottish Highlands. If constructed, these projects would add 4.9GW to the UK’s existing capacity of 2.8GW, taking the country over halfway towards achieving the 15GW of capacity that is expected to be needed by 2050, while more than quadrupling its storage capacity to 122GWh. To ensure that developers can deliver the existing pipeline of ‘shovel-ready’ pumped storage hydro projects, Scottish Renewables (known as the voice of the country’s energy industry) is calling on the UK Government to urgently deliver the measures it has promised to enable investment in large-scale, long- duration energy storage.
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