Development of 1 GW pumped hydro project progresses in Australia
The state government in Queensland, Australia, has announced plans to finance design work and cost-related studies for the construction of a new pumped hydro facility.
Pumped hydro with desalination, powered by renewables
EDF and Oceanus plan to build a pumped hydro storage station and a desalination system powered by wind and solar. The system will use saltwater to produce hydropower during periods of high demand, while producing affordable freshwater.
Sustainable pumped-hydro across 616,818 sites
Australian researchers have identified more than 600,000 sites suitable for closed-loop pumped-hydro energy storage projects across the globe. “Off-river” pumped-hydro is not only able to overcome the typical topographical issues of conventional pumped-hydro but is also cheaper.
Hydro storage project pumps new life into old Australian mine
Centennial Coal has secured more than US$3.8 million in government funding to assess the feasibility of turning a coal mine near Newcastle, New South Wales, into a pumped hydro storage site that could supply 600 MW of renewables to the grid.
Standalone PV with pumped storage could deliver LCOE of $0.053/kWh
A new Indian study shows that standalone PV systems combined with pumped storage could be a solution to energy poverty in developing nations. This easily deployable, chemical-free approach might be best in countries that lack battery-recycling rules, the researchers said.
Texan utility tenders 900 MW of solar, 50 MW of storage
CPS Energy has taken the first step towards bringing those volumes – plus 500 MW of firming capacity – to the Lone Star State in pursuit of the power company’s 50%-renewables-by-2040 goal.
Israel prepares 800 MW of pumped hydro storage
Renewables company Ellomay Capital has been forced to reduce the scale of its planned 340 MW Manara Cliff project, in the north of the country, because two rival schemes have already gobbled up a large proportion of the capacity quota currently offered by the government.
China reaches 1.7 GW of electrochemical storage capacity
According to new numbers released by the China Energy Storage Alliance, the country’s storage capacity topped 32.4 GW at the end of last year. The association said the storage market is expected to continue to grow steadily in the years ahead.
Navajo Nation land could host 2.2 GW pumped hydro storage station
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has accepted Daybreak Energy’s application to develop a 2,230 MW pumped-hydro facility on the banks of Lake Powell in Utah.
Coupling pumped hydro with renewables and other storage technologies
The combination of pumped hydro with other storage technologies can increase renewables penetration, improve operational safety and reduce maintenance costs at large-scale hydropower plants, according to new research. The study also focuses on techniques to determine the optimal size of renewables-based pumped hydro storage systems. Costs for hybrid solar-pumped hydro projects currently range from $0.098/kWh to $1.36/kWh.
