Pumped storage |
Right: Working groups of the International Forum on Pumped Storage Hydropower have released a seried of reports
j as a representative of equipment suppliers he says he feels compelled to give “more memorable technical arguments” for pumped storage. “We need pumped storage hydropower. These facilities provide essential grid services such as rotating inertia and reactive power and provide a means to respond quickly to the risk of blackouts,” he says; giving the example of how Austrian pumped storage recently helped to overcome the risk of blackouts across southern Europe. “Decarbonisation of power systems, coupled with the partial phasing out of nuclear power, is progressing rapidly. This development will be scaled up further over the next few years and can provoke potential instability,” Wehnhardt explains. “As we move away from coal and nuclear energy, the most stable baseload in the grid will gradually disappear - and we have to understand this. When using pumped storage facilities grid operators can react quickly. And that’s the power of hydro.” As Yves Giraud, CEO of EDF Hydro adds: “Pumped
storage hydropower projects should be better acknowledged for all the services they bring to the electric system – such as the flexibility and ancillary services needed to develop variable renewable energies like wind and solar. In my opinion, in Europe and many countries worldwide, there should be a new market design to integrate storage facilities. Pumped storage hydro is highly valuable and a key enabler of the energy transition. We have all the tools to develop it in a sustainable way, so that it can play this major and vital role in the decarbonisation of electricity.”
US experience Kelly Speakes-Backman is the Acting Assistant
Secretary at the US Department of Energy, and co- chair of the International Forum on Pumped Storage Hydropower. She shared the US’ experience which has a long history of hydro in the grid. Pumped storage in the US accounts for about 550GWh and 22GW of grid scale energy storage.
12 | November 2021 |
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Forty-four pumped storage plants currently operate and provide 93% of grid scale energy storage by capacity. In the past decade US pumped storage capacity grew by about 1300MW - nearly as much installed capacity as all other energy storage types combined. “Pumped storage is a very important aspect of our clean energy future,” Speakes-Backman states. “It can and will continue to play a crucial role in our fight against climate change. That’s why we must continue our investment and innovation into pumped storage hydro.” Speakes-Backman says the DoE is working hard to drive the research and development, demonstration and deployment of the innovative technologies required to achieve US energy and climate goals. It is also making sure that opportunities in the clean energy economy benefits everyone and that no communities are left behind. “Decarbonising our future is also imperative for social and economic justice and that’s why at DoE we commit our work to empowering disadvantaged communities with clean renewable and resilient energy. We are working to ensure 40% of overall benefits of relevant federal investments in clean energy are delivered to disadvantaged communities,” Speakes-Backman says. ”Every step of the way we are considering the environmental justice and equity impacts in everything we do, and that includes our work on pumped storage hydropower. “As we shift how we power our countries and economies, the need to scale up and recognise the value of pumped storage has never been greater. As variable renewable energy deployment is increasing, energy grids worldwide need to adapt to incorporate these resources.” The DOE also announced in July 2021 its new goal
to reduce the cost of grid-scale, long duration energy storage by 90% within the decade “We have to break down the barriers to advancing
more deployment of pumped storage and other forms of long duration storage,” Speakes-Backman
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