Pumped storage

Bright prospects for

pumped storage in Chile

The distinctive geological characteristics of the Atacama Desert in northern Chile are providing
ideal conditions for the construction and operation of an innovative pumped storage seawater
plant, alongside a solar photovoltaic project.
Co founders Juan Camus
and Francisco Torrealba.

Caleta San Marcos.

he Espejo de Tarapac project (EDT) is

an innovative power project located in
northern Chile which combines natural
solar and hydroelectric resources with proven
generation technology. The project is comprised
of two commercially integrated power plants:

A
 300MW hydroelectric seawater pumped
storage plant (the PSH plant) using the Pacific
Ocean as its lower reservoir and an existing
natural concavity as its upper reservoir.
An up to 600MW-AC solar photovoltaic plant
(the PV plant) with single axis tracking.

Geo reference.

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INTERNATIONAL WATER POWER & DAM CONSTRUCTION

The plants will be commercially integrated to

provide competitive, reliable and sustainable
electricity 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
EDT is one of the most innovative large-scale
infrastructure projects in the world, based on
its unique integration of proven generation
technologies with renewable natural resources
to supply electricity 24/7. By combining Chiles
natural resource characteristics with recent
reductions in the cost of photovoltaic solar
generation, EDT is able to provide a competitive,
reliable and sustainable alternative to traditional
electric generation. These natural characteristics
include: (i) the best solar irradiation in the world,
(ii) a coastal site with a steep cliff and a natural
surface concavity within a short distance, and
(iii) direct access to the Pacific Ocean, which
provides continuous water supply with no
hydrological volatility.
The projects unique combination of solar
energy and pumped storage in Chile will resolve
the intermittency or limited availability problem
inherent to solar and wind technologies by
effectively combining the countrys abundant
sunlight and seawater resources to ensure
electricity availability 24/7, says the developers.
EDTs pumped storage hydro plant is effectively
equivalent to a large renewable energy battery
storing solar energy in the form of water which
is pumped into the reservoir to be stored until
required by the system.

April 2016

Pumped storage

The map shows the location of both

plants and transmission lines.

Founded in Stanford
The projects founders, Juan Andres Camus and
Francisco Torrealba, came up with the conceptual
idea while completing post-graduate degrees
at Stanford University. Their ambition was to
design a storage system for their native Chiles
infinitely abundant renewable energy resources.
Torrealba, who grew up in the Atacama Desert
in northern Chile, was familiar with the areas
exceptional geographical characteristics, which
include an extensive coastline along the Pacific
Ocean, a lofty coastal mountain range containing
deep surface concavities within kilometres of
the ocean, and an arid, nearly cloudless inland
climate, home to the best irradiation conditions
in the world. These distinctive characteristics,
together with recent technological advancements
in photovoltaic solar generation which have
yielded significant cost reductions, allow the
project to provide reliable and sustainable
renewable energy, which at the same time is
competitive with coal-fired generation.
Hydro in the worlds driest desert
Both the PSH and PV plants will be located
south of the closest major city of Iquique in the
Tarapac Region of northern Chile. The PSH
plant will be located on the coast approximately
100km south of Iquique on a site that includes a
600m coastal cliff with a large natural concavity
on the surface. The PSH plant will connect
to the Lagunas substation in the northern
interconnected system known as SING, by means
of a new 65km transmission line.
The site geography presents ideal conditions
for the construction and operation of a PSH
plant. The Pacific Ocean serves as the lower
reservoir, providing an abundant and non-volatile
water supply. A natural concavity located on
the surface of a steep coastal cliff, only 3km

April 2016

from the seawater intake point, serves as the

upper (storage) reservoir. Additionally, the
natural elevation of the cliff, 600m above sea
level, provides the significant height differential
required for efficient hydroelectric generation.
The projects upper reservoir, which is
comprised of the natural concavity located on
the top of the cliff, encompasses a total land area
of 375 hectares and energy storage capacity of
83GWh, respectively. When the reservoir is at full
capacity, the PSH plant can generate electricity at
nominal capacity continuously for 11 days
The shaded area in the photograph below
shows the location of the upper reservoir,
which is comprised of two bodies of water, an
eastern and western reservoir which will be
interconnected via a canal with a distance of
275m. The white line indicates the PSH plants
waterways including the seawater intake and

associated tunnels to the reservoir. Both the

eastern and western reservoirs will be surrounded
by a dike with an average height of 3m and
completely lined with an impervious membrane
made of a highly resistant bituminous material to
prevent filtration. A separation dike will also be
constructed in the western reservoir to enhance
operating flexibility, allowing the project to store
reserves or perform maintenance in one half of
the reservoir while continuing to operate.
The PSH plant installations include reversible
pumping equipment located in an underground
powerhouse. As noted above, when the project
is dispatched on a relatively continuous basis,
during sun-hours, this equipment pumps water
from the ocean to the upper reservoir on top
of the coastal cliff, and during dark-hours, the
equipment generates electricity with the water
stored in the reservoir, which is released and
returned to the ocean. There will be a single
underground bi-directional water conduction
system comprised of the ocean intake and
tunnels, which will be used for the water flow in
both pumping and generating modes.
The principal components of the PSH plant
include: (i) three 100MW Francis-type reversible
turbines, along with 115 MVA transformers,
(ii) a 350m subsea tunnel that ends in a sea
piercing system with an intake point depth of
approximately 16m, (iii) a 2200m underground
water discharge tunnel, (iv) a 1150m access
tunnel, (v) a 730m headrace tunnel, (vi) a vertical
steel lined pressure shaft with a height of 535m,
(vii) a 110m surge shaft at the top of the pressure
shaft, (viii) a 150m surge chamber located
downstream of the power cavern, (ix) a 220kV
GIS substation, and (x) above-ground buildings
including a control room, plant office, warehouse
and desalinization plant (to provide water for
PSH plant construction and operations and to the
local community). The combined length of all
tunnelling is approximately 5.5km.
The PSH plant installations also include the

Upper reservoir of the pumped storage plant.

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Pumped storage

Layout of the pumped storage plant.

Reinvigorating clean energy

EDT is 100% owned by Valhalla, a
Chilean independent power company.
The company is focused on the
development, ownership and operation of
renewable power projects which utilise
Chiles natural resources and strategically
diversify the countrys energy matrix
away from an overdependence on
imported fossil fuels. Valhalla is currently
in the process of inviting strategic
investors to participate as partners in the
ownership of the project.
Valhallas innovative project is
compatible with Chiles energy goals.
Since March 2014, under the administration
of Minister of Energy, Maximo Pacheco,
Chile has focused on enhancing
competition, boosting the development of
non-conventional renewable energy,
reducing carbon emissions and improving
local development benefits provided by
energy projects to the local communities.
The governments Energy Agenda and
Long Term Energy Policy has established a
target of 70% of power generation from
renewable sources by 2050.
Chile also became a founding member
in the group of visionary countries that
jointly launched the Mission Innovation
initiative announced at the United Nations
Conference on Climate Change in Paris in
November 2015. This advocates the
common goal to reinvigorate and
accelerate public and private global clean
energy innovation with the objective to
make clean energy widely affordable.
www.valhalla.cl

65km transmission line from the PSH plant to the

Lagunas substation.
The PV plant site is a flat tract of land,
approximately 1000m above sea level comprised
of 1568 hectares in the middle of the Tarapac
Region of the Atacama Desert. The PV plant is
comprised of a 600MW-AC PV solar park which
will be constructed in phases and will utilise a
single-axis tracking system in order to maximize
energy output by tilting the panels to follow the
sun throughout the day from east to west.
Project Status
Since 2011, Valhalla has focused on critical
development activities including engineering
and design, permitting, and community
engagement. The project is currently at an
advanced stage of development having achieved
several important milestones such as approval
of the PSH and PV plant and transmission
line environmental permits, execution of
collaboration agreements with community
organisations, and pre-selection of certain
construction contractors, among others.
Engineering
EDT has performed extensive engineering
work and studies for the PSH plant, including

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feasibility site studies and engineering design.

The engineering design was performed by Poch
Engineering and Skava Consulting under the
leadership and management supervision of
EDTs Project Director. Several external experts
were also engaged to analyse specific project
components.
International consultants Norconsult and
Multiconsult were engaged to review and assess
the underground works and PSH equipment,
respectively, and detailed engineering for design
of the ocean intake was performed by specialised
consulting firm, PRDW Consulting Port and
Coastal Engineers. The results of the engineering
studies were used to prepare the EIA permit
request and the tender documents to request
contractor proposals for the PSH construction
contracts.
Permitting
The project has completed the environmental
permitting process. The Environmental
Impact Approval (EIA) for the PSH plant and
the corresponding transmission line was
unanimously approved by the authorities in
December 2015 and the EIA for the PV plant and
associated transmission line was unanimously
approved by the authorities in January 2016.

INTERNATIONAL WATER POWER & DAM CONSTRUCTION

Transparent and inclusive relationship

The project has prioritised the establishment of
an early, transparent and inclusive relationship
with the local community. The PSH plant is
adjacent to a fishing village with a population
of around 300 inhabitants. Interaction with
the community was initiated in 2012 in order
to address community concerns in early
development. A formal work methodology
was implemented to assist the community
with analysis of the project, which included
numerous working sessions, creation of a special
commission and hiring of community advisors.
In March 2015, collaboration agreements
which govern the interaction with the community
during development, construction and
operation of the project were executed with two
community organisations.
The estimated project investment is
approximately US$1.3B. Plans are afoot to launch
the financing process in the next few months in
order to commence construction prior to the end of
the year. Total construction for the entire project,
including the PSH and PV plants and transmission
lines, will be approximately 3.5 years. The PV
plant will initiate operations in phases, starting in
2019. The PSH plant and all PV plant installations
are expected to be completed in 2020.

April 2016