| Development at existing sites
The authors also reiterate there are other considerations if constructing pumped hydro systems on old mining sites. For example, reservoir linings may be required to prevent seepage, treat soil and water released from the reservoir. Unstable slopes, tunnels, powerhouse caverns or tailings dams may also need reinforcement to handle rapid changes in water level. These design considerations are site-specific, the authors explain, and would be relevant if any pumped hydro site in the Brownfield Atlas was investigated in detail. Rehabilitating disused mining sites is a growing global problem that will require multiple solutions to address it. Weber et al report that there are over 80,000 inactive mining sites requiring rehabilitation within Australia alone – 37 of which were suitable for pumped storage systems larger than 2GWh. Various mining sites are already being developed or investigated for their potential as pumped storage systems. These include Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro Project in Queensland, Australia (250MW, 2000MWh) which will connect two mining pits together and is expected to be completed in 2025. Other proposed projects in Australia include the Mt Rawdon Pumped Hydro Project (2GW, 20GWh), which would repurpose a mining pit, and the Muswellbrook Pumped Hydro project (250MW, 2000 Wh), which would use existing coal mine voids as the lower reservoir. In the US, the disturbed land of the Kaiser Eagle Mountain mine (1.3GW, 24GWh) and Lewis Ridge mine (200MW, 1600MWh) are being considered for closed-loop projects. By the end of 2022, a total of 13 projects with 3.42GW power capacity located on
mining land were estimated to be in the development pipeline across the US.
Batman Dam Other research has investigated a model for integrating
a pumped storage system into an existing dam structure. In their study, Oymak et al used Turkey’s Batman Dam and Hydroelectric Power Plant as the lower reservoir. Situated within the Euphrates-Tigris basin, and under the operation of The Electricity Generation Corporation, this power plant ranks as the 88th largest in Turkey, boasting an installed capacity of 198.48MW and yielding a total electrical energy output of 483 GWh. As the authors claim in The Journal of Energy
Storage: “Turkey’s abundant hydroelectric potential highlights the promising approach of converting existing reservoirs into pumped storage systems, demonstrating a hopeful strategy for efficient energy utilisation and energy continuity.” In this research, a suitability map for the location of the second reservoir was generated using multi-criteria decision-making analysis, with the assistance of GIS for pumped storage conversion. A mathematical model encompassing various components of the PHS system was also presented to calculate the energy potential of the dam. The authors say that their calculations indicate 1299 kWh of energy storage can be provided within the scope of the study, when using Batman Hydroelectric Power Plant as the lower reservoir. These findings, they add, “demonstrate that a more practical model, accounting for energy losses yields more accurate results”.
Above: The issue of rehabilitating disused mines is becoming a global problem. Repurposing them as pumped storage sites is considered to be one solution
References
A global atlas of pumped hydro systems that repurpose existing mining sites Timothy Weber * , Ryan Stocks, Andrew Blakers, Anna Nadolny , Cheng Cheng Engineering Building, 32 North Road, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia. Renewable Energy Volume 224, April 2024, 120113
https://doi.org/10.1016/j. renene.2024.120113
Conversion of reservoir dams to pumped storage dams: A case study Batman Dam by Aysenur Oymak, Ibrahim Halil Demirel, Mehmet Rida Tur. Journal of Energy Storage. Volume 95,1 August 2024, 112417
https://doi.org/10.1016/j. est.2024.112417Get rights and content
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