Deane.2009-RSER-Techno-economic Review of Existing and New Pumped Hydro Energy Storage Plant
Deane.2009-RSER-Techno-economic Review of Existing and New Pumped Hydro Energy Storage Plant
Deane.2009-RSER-Techno-economic Review of Existing and New Pumped Hydro Energy Storage Plant
Techno-economic review of existing and new pumped hydro energy storage plant
J.P. Deane *, B.P. Ó Gallachóir, E.J. McKeogh
Sustainable Energy Research Group, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T
Article history: There has been a renewed commercial and technical interest in pumped hydro energy storage (PHES)
Received 3 November 2009 recently with the advent of increased variable renewable energy generation and the development of
Accepted 17 November 2009 liberalized electricity markets. During the next 8 years over 7 GW of PHES capacity will be added to the
European network while projects are also planned in the USA and Japan. This paper provides a review of
Keyword: existing and proposed PHES plant and discusses the technical and economic drivers for these
Pumped hydro energy storage developments. Current trends for new PHES development generally show that developers operating in
liberalized markets are tending to repower, enhance projects or build ‘pump-back’ PHES rather than
traditional ‘pure pumped storage’. Capital costs per kW for proposed PHES in the review region range
between s470/kW and s2170/kW, however these costs are highly site and project specific. An
emergence has also been observed in recent PHES developments of the use of variable speed technology.
This technology, while incurring slightly higher capital costs, offers a greater range of operational
flexibility and efficiency over conventional PHES. This paper has primarily been prompted by a lack of
detailed information on PHES facilities worldwide and reviews current developments in the context of
market and generation mix changes. The most recent large scale review of PHES faculties was
undertaken by the American Society of Civil Engineers Hydro Power Task Committee on Pumped Storage
in 1996. In the absence of data in the literature on new PHES plant development, this review draws
primarily on publicly available information from utilities, government bodies and electricity regulators.
In the same context this study is limited to a review region of the European Union, Japan and the United
States as information on developments outside these areas is difficult to procure. This paper also gives a
review of locations and proposed timelines for new PHES development and provides a thorough up-to-
date overview of the development trends of this technology.
ß 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Contents
1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1294
2. Pumped hydro energy storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1294
2.1. Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1294
3. Traditional development of PHES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1294
3.1. Ownership of current PHES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1296
4. New developments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1296
4.1. Technology developments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1296
4.2. Drivers for new PHES development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1297
4.3. Switzerland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1297
4.4. Portugal and Spain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1298
4.5. Austria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1299
4.6. Germany . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1299
4.7. Slovenia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1299
4.8. USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1299
4.9. Japan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1300
1364-0321/$ – see front matter ß 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.rser.2009.11.015
1294 J.P. Deane et al. / Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 14 (2010) 1293–1302
Table 1
Typical operating characteristic of generating plant [7].
Nuclear power plant Coal fired plant Oil fired plant Gas turbine-peaker PHES
Fig. 3. Chronological development of PHES in MW capacity and plant number in the EU for existing and proposed PHES.
1296 J.P. Deane et al. / Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 14 (2010) 1293–1302
Table 2
Installed Generation Capacities (MW) in EU Member States (2006) [15] Japan (2008) [10] and USA (2007) [8]. PHES as a % of full installed capacity is also shown.
Country Conventional thermal Nuclear Wind Geothermal PHES Conventional hydro PHES as % of total mix
project, operated by Pacific Gas and Electric Company in Fresno previously the largest PHES plant in Europe. Dinorwig can achieve
County, California with a head of 543 m has the highest head in the full load from spinning in less than 20 s [11].
United States. The largest federally owned pumped storage project
is the Tennessee Valley Authority’s 1530 MW Raccoon Mountain 3.1. Ownership of current PHES
project on the Tennessee River in Tennessee [9]. Major pumped
storage plants (plants with installed capacity >100 MW) in the While many PHES facilities were built before liberalized markets
USA are characterised by a mixture of pure pumped storage (17 by State owned utilities, more recent times has been characterised
plants), operating on daily cycles and pump-back facilities (12 by mergers and buy-outs of competing private companies. Table 3
plants) with large energy storage capacity operating on weekly or details the current ownership of PHES in the review region. The
seasonal cycles. A number of pump-back facilities, such as Castaic largest owner of individual PHES plant in the review region is
(1275 MW) also serve as part of irrigation and water regulation Iberdrola [12] with a total of 10 operational plants in Spain and
schemes. The average size of a PHES plant in the United States is Portugal. TEPCO [13] and J-Power [14] (also know as EPDC) are the
520 MW. The majority of PHES plants were built in the period largest owners of plant MW with a combined capacity of over
1970–1980 when 14 facilities totalling a MW capacity of 9636 MW 11,700 MW. EDF are the largest owner and operator of PHES plant in
were installed. Europe on a MW basic. In the USA there is no clear major owner of
Like the USA, Japan developed PHES to compliment nuclear PHES with the majority of the 34 plants being individually owned.
power facilities, providing peak power in the evenings and The largest owner of PHES is the US Bureau of Reclamation with 4
pumping when demand is low. Japan has the third largest plants totalling to an installed capacity of 340 MW. The California
installation of nuclear power worldwide with a total of 53 units Department of Water Resources owns three plants with a total
accounting for 47.9 GW installed capacity. Currently Japan has 34 installed capacity of 800 MW.
PHES major plants with a total capacity of 24,575 MW [10].
Current installed capacities in Japan range from 200 MW to 4. New developments
1932 MW. The majority of plants are pure pumped hydro storage
schemes operating on a daily cycle characterised by large MW 4.1. Technology developments
capacity and relatively short storage times, typically 5–10 h. PHES
installations account for 10.2% of full installed generating While PHES is a relatively mature and established technology a
capacity. number of recent innovations and improvements have been
In a European context the majority of PHES facilities are observed.
concentrated in the Alpine regions of France, Switzerland and
Austria however Germany has the largest number of PHES plants Table 3
with 23 operational plants ranging in capacity from 62.5 to Majors owners of PHES in the review regiona.
1060 MW. Germany is second only to Spain in terms of installed Owner Number of operational Approximate pumping
MW capacity. Over 6000 MW of PHES is installed on the Iberian plants (2009) capacity (MW)
Peninsula. Spain has 14 PHES plants with sizes ranging from 65 to Iberdrola 10 3327
745 MW. The largest plant currently in operation is the Iberdrola TEPCO 9 6801
owned Villarino plant with a capacity of 745 MW. Portugal has five Vattenfall 8 2893
major PHES plants with an average capacity of 160 MW. PHES in J-Power 7 4970
EDP 6 969
Portugal and Spain are predominantly pump-back type operating
EDF 6 4978
on major rivers or operating as part of larger hydro complexes or Verbund 6 1182
cascades. This type of facility can also play a number of important Endesa 5 1577
roles from irrigation to flood control. The largest PHES plant in the E-on Wasserkraft 5 1009
EU is the 1800 MW EDF owned ‘Grand Maison’ facility in the French Schluchseewerk AG 5 1740
A number of proposed PHES plant (Linthal 2015 and Nant de Increased interconnection is cited as contributing to the value of
Drance) will use variable speed pump/turbine units. This technology PHES as developers have access to more potential markets and
is already employed in a number of existing PHES units in Japan. The market opportunities.
advantage of variable speed pump/turbine units is the variable Security of supply. PHES is seen by many developers to
speed pumped storage plants use asynchronous motor-generators contribute to a countries or regions security of supply.
that allow the pump/turbine rotation speed to be adjusted. This Reduce volatility or increase efficiency of current hydroelectric
technology allows regulation of the amount of energy absorbed in assets. Developers who already have existing hydroelectric or
pumping mode. This facilitates energy storage when power levels PHES assets are using newer more efficient equipment to
available on the network are low and in addition to reducing the increase the operational efficiency of existing plants.
number of starts and stops can help regulate the network frequency
or voltage in pumping mode [16]. This technology also allows Within the EU there is currently approximately 7400 MW of
turbines to operate closer to their optimal efficiency point. A study in new PHES development proposed, with a total investment cost of
the USA [17] has estimated that this would increase the power over s6 billion. This constitutes approximately 20% increase in
component cost of a variable speed plant as opposed to a installed capacity of PHES in the EU. Fig. 4 [15] shows existing and
conventional PHES plant from approximately $ 1000–1050/kW. planned PHES in the EU as well as current installed wind capacity
In the area of improved efficiencies the Kannagawa PHES plant and the percentage of PHES of total system capacity. Switzerland
in Japan was the first plant to employ a ‘splitter runner’ which is a has the highest amount of planned PHES at 2014 MW. Table 4
multi-blade turbine pump runner. Improvements in power details proposed PHES in Europe. A review of new developments on
generation and pump efficiencies of up to 4% are reported for a country by country basis is given in the next sections.
this runner by TEPCO [18]. Information for these developments was gathered from publically
In the area of site development, J-POWER became the first available information from project developers. Note that a number
company in the world in 1999 to build and operate a 30 MW of proposed PHES projects which are in the early stages of
seawater PHES plant at Okinawa with a head of 136 m. Research for development and have not completed environmental impact
the plant development started in 1981 and focussed on corrosion statements, such as Scottish and Southern Energy’s two proposed
preventive measures [19]. Seawater PHES may have several PHES projects in Scotland [20] are not detailed here.
advantages over conventional PHES such as lower civil construc-
tion cost and greater site availability. See-water PHES technology 4.3. Switzerland
has yet to develop a commercial track record however, with only
one completed plant worldwide. In a European comparison, Switzerland is fourth in terms of
contribution of hydropower towards electricity production, behind
4.2. Drivers for new PHES development
Fig. 4. Installed PHES, proposed PHES, existing installed wind capacity and % of PHES of full installed capacity in the EU. Note: For illustration purposed Germany (DE) and
Spain (ES) installed wind capacity is limited to 6000 MW. Actual installed wind capacity in Germany is 23,903 MW and 16,740 MW in Spain.
1298 J.P. Deane et al. / Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 14 (2010) 1293–1302
Table 5
Summary details of proposed PHES in Switzerland.
Proposed Plant Capacity (MW) Published cost Project developer Operational date
Linthal 2015 (NESTIL) 140 100 million Swiss francs Axpo Group 2009–2010
Linthal 2015 (Linthal) 1000 1 billion Swiss francs Axpo Group 2015
Nant de Drance 600 990 million Swiss francs Nant de Drance SA 2015
KWO Plus (Gimsel 3) 400 320 million Swiss francs Kraftwerke Oberhasli AG 2014
Norway, Austria and Iceland. Hydropower plays a major role in 19% with hydro resources supplying 11% of electricity while in 2007
Switzerland’s energy production with a share of around 57%. In the import balance was 15% with hydro supplying 18% of electricity
Switzerland’s hydropower plant statistics, a distinction is made [25]. This volatility along with ambitious government renewable
between four types of plants: run-of-river (3667 MW), storage energy targets and a relatively under exploited hydro resource is
(8067 MW), pumped storage (1384 MW) and basic water flow stimulating a renewed commercial interest in PHES development.
plants (316 MW) [21]. A number of new PHES plants are planned Portugal is one of the few European countries with significant hydro
here, with developers citing security of supply, increased wind potential (54%) to be developed [26]. Portugal has ambitious
penetration in European countries and an increase in demand in renewable energy goals. By 2010, renewable energy should
peak power in liberalized European markets as major incentives represent 45% of the total consumption in the country. The installed
for development. wind energy capacity is expected to increase to 5100 MW by 2010. In
Axpo Group is developing the Linthal 2015 PHES project which this context the Portuguese government commissioned ‘Plano
consists of two major expansion phases to the existing Linth Nacional de Barragens de Elevado Potencial Hidroelélictrico-‘The
Limmer complex [22]. The first phase NESTIL is a 140 MW pumping National Program of High Hydroelectric Potential Dams’ [27]
capacity and 110 MW turbine capacity plant that is being built into (PNBEPH) in 2007. The PNBEPH identified and defined priorities
the existing complex. The construction of NESTIL began in 2005 for investments in large hydroelectric developments in the project
and will take 4 years at an estimated cost of 100 million Swiss horizon 2007–2020. The PNBEPH intends to reach a national hydro
francs. The second phase Linthal is part of the same complex of rated capacity above 7000 MW in 2020 (70% of the national hydro
reservoirs has a 1000 MW pump/turbine capacity. Construction of potential). Particular emphasis was given in the PNBEPH to
Linthal is expected to take 5 year and has an estimated cost of 1 hydroelectric plants with pumping capacity given its ability to
billion francs. facilitate the integration of variable renewable generation. Wind
Construction started in 2008 at the 600 MW Nant de Drance power production and electricity demand in Portugal are highly
PHES plant. The project is being developed by Nant de Drance SA a uncorrelated with the windiest periods occurring at night time and
consortium of three companies Alpiq, CFF and FMV. The facility early morning. Preliminary analysis within the PNBEPH indicated the
will use existing reservoirs at the Vieux Emosson site. The project is ideal relationship between pumping capacity and wind power was in
expected to be completed in 2015 and cost of the project is the order of 1.0 MW pumping capacity to 3.5 MW of wind power.
estimated at 990 million Swiss francs [23]. One of the largest new PHES plants to be built in Portugal (and
Kraftwerke Oberhasli AG power company (KWO) is currently in Europe) is the Alto Támega complex [28]. This project is being built
the process of its 845 million Swiss franc investment and by the Spanish utility Iberdrola. This complex comprises of four
enhancement program (KWO Plus) of its existing hydroelectric dams (Daivoes, Gouaves, Padroselos, Alto Támega) with a total
facilities. This program includes the construction of the new generating capacity of 1200 MW and a total pumping capacity of
400 MW PHES Gimsel 3 plant at a cost of 320 million Swiss francs. 900 MW. The company also recently won a tender to manage the
The plant will use existing reservoirs at the complex and existing Aguieira PHES plant (336 generating capacity and 270
compliment the existing 344 MW Grimsel 2 PHES plant. Construc- pumping capacity) in Portugal until 2014 [29]. Iberdrola are also
tion is expected to start on this facility in 2010 and end in 2014 developing and expanding a similar complex in Spain at the La
[24]. Table 5 provides a summary of proposed PHES development Muela complex which when completed in 2012 will have a total
and costs in Switzerland. generating capacity of 1710 MW and 1260 MW of pumping
capacity. EDP (Energias de Portugal) are building four new PHES
4.4. Portugal and Spain plants in Portugal namely; Baixo Sabor, Foz Tua and Fridão/Alvito
and expanding Alqeueva II. EDP state that increased wind
In the European Union, Portugal is leading a resurgence in PHES penetration is adding to the value of PHES through energy
with plans to build or upgrade up to 10 facilities adding storage and ancillary services and making it attractive for
approximately 2000 MW of PHES to its current capacity of investment. Increased interconnection with Spain (set to double
980 MW. Portugal has a total installed generating capacity of to approximately 3 GW by 2014) and the liberalized Iberian
14916 MW with a total hydroelectric installation of 4943 MW. electricity market (MIBEL) are also increasing the attractiveness of
Hydroelectric capacity factors for the past 5 years have been below PHES for utilities and investors in Portugal [30]. Table 6 provides a
average at 56% and Portugal is exposed to volatility in hydroelectric summary of costs and MW capacities of proposed PHES in Spain
production. In 2008 Portugal’s imported balance for electricity was and Portugal.
Table 6
Summary details of proposed PHES in Portugal and Spain.
Alto Támega Complex 1200 MW turbine, capacity 900 MW pumping capacity 1.7 billion Euros [28] Iberdrola 2018
Baixo Sabor 170 MW 369 million Euro [31] EDP 2013
Foz Tua 324 MW 340 million Euro [32] EDP 2018
Fridão/Alvitoa 256 MW + 136 MW 510 million Euro [33] EDP 2016
Alqeueva II (expansion) 240 MW 150 million Euro [34] EDP 2012
La Muela II (extension) 720 MW 350 million Euro [35] Iberdrola 2012
a
Subject to the confirmation by INAG (the Portuguese Water Institute).
J.P. Deane et al. / Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 14 (2010) 1293–1302 1299
4.9. Japan
Table 8
Summary details of proposed PHES in Japan.
in California; January 2007. Available online at FERC web site www.ferc.gov/ [55] The Japanese Society of Mechanical Engineers. Development of ultra high
industries/hydropower/enviro/eis/2007/01-30-07.asp. head large capacity pump-turbines for pumped storage power plants with
[53] IEA Hydropower Implementing Agreement Annex VIII, Hydropower good more than 700 m head. Available online at http://www.jsme.or.jp/English/
practices: environmental mitigation measures and benefits. Case study 11- awardsn24.html.
02: benefits due to power generation–large scale pumped storage power [56] Omarugawa PHES official project website. Available Online at http://www.
plants, Japan; 2006. omarugawa.com/english/eindex.htm.
[54] TEPCO official press release. http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/ [57] Gatzen C. The economics of power storage. Munich: Oldenburg Industriever;
release/05122201-e.html. 2008.