The Case For Pumped Hydro Storage
The Coire Glas Project
Note that Coire Glas is a pumped storage hydroelectric scheme being developed by SSE Renewables.
- It is rated at 1.5 GW.
- It can store 30 GWh of electricity.
- It is being built in the Highlands of Scotland above Loch Lochy.
- The estimated construction time will be five to six years.
- It should be operational for more than 50 years.
- There is more about the project on this page on the Coire Glas web site.
Exploratory works have started.
The Case For Pumped Hydro Storage
The title of this post, as the same as that of this page on the Coire Glas web site.
This is the sub-heading.
A study by independent researchers from Imperial College London found that investing in 4.5GW of pumped hydro storage, with 90GWh of storage could save up to £690m per year in energy system costs by 2050, as the UK transitions to a net-zero carbon emission system.
And this is the first paragraph.
The report focused on the benefits of new long-duration pumped hydro storage in Scotland, as the current most established long-duration energy storage technology. The benefit of long duration storage compared to short duration batteries is being able to continuously charge up the storage with excess renewables and also discharge power to the grid for several hours or days when wind and solar output is low.
So Coire Glas will provide 1.5GW/30GW, so where will we get the other 3 GW/60GW?
Loch Earba Pumped Hydro
In Gilkes Reveals 900MW Scottish Pumped Storage Plan, I introduced Loch Earba Pumped Hydro.
- It is rated at 900 MW
- It can store 33 GWh of electricity.
- It is being built in the Highlands of Scotland to the East of Fort William.
- The estimated construction time will be three to four years.
- It should be operational for more than 50 years.
- There is more about the project on the Earba Storage web site.
It would appear we could be edging towards the Imperial College target in lumps of about 1GW/30 GWh.
Other Schemes In Scotland
These are other proposed or planned schemes in Scotland.
Balliemeanoch Pumped Hydro
Balliemeanoch Pumped Hydro now has a web site.
The proposed Balliemeanoch pumped hydro scheme will have these characteristics.
- Output of the power station will be 1.5 GW
- Available storage could be 45 GWh.
This medium-sized station has a lot of storage.
Corrievarkie Pumped Hydro
Corrievarkie Pumped Hydro now has a web site.
The proposed Corrievarkie pumped hydro scheme will have these characteristics.
- Output of the power station will be 600 MW
- Available storage could be 14.5 GWh.
This medium-sized station has a moderate amount of storage.
Loch Kemp Pumped Hydro
I wrote about Loch Kemp Pumped Hydro in Loch Kemp Pumped Hydro, where I said this.
The proposed Loch Kemp pumped hydro scheme will have these characteristics.
- Loch Kemp will be the upper reservoir.
- Loch Ness will be the lower reservoir.
- The power station will be on the banks of Loch Ness.
- The power station will be designed to fit into the environment.
- Eight dams will be built to enlarge Loch Kemp.
- Trees will be planted.
- Output of the power station will be 300 MW
- Available storage could be 9 GWh.
The medium-sized station will have almost as much storage capacity as Electric Mountain, but that power station has an output of 1.8 GW.
Red John Pumped Hydro
I wrote about Red John Pumped Hydro in Red John Pumped Storage Hydro Project, where I said this.
I have also found a web site for the project, which is part of the ILI Group web site.
- The scheme has an output of 450 MW.
- The storage capacity is 2,800 MWh or 2.8 GWh.
- The scheme has planning consent.
- The project is budgeted to cost £550 million.
- The construction program indicates that the scheme will be completed by the end of 2025.
Not a large scheme, but every little helps.
Proposed Pumped Hydro In Scotland
I have listed these schemes.
- Balliemeanoch – 1.5GW/45 GWh
- Coire Glas – 1.5 GW/30 GWh
- Corrievarkie – 600 MW/14.5 GWh
- Loch Earba – 900 MW/33 GWh
- Loch Kemp – 300 MW/9 GWh
- Red John – 450 MW/2.8 GWh
Note.
- The scheme’s name is linked to their web site.
- The two figures are output and storage capacity.
There is a total output of 5.25 GW and a total storage capacity of 134.3 GWh.
Conclusion
If all these schemes are built, Imperial’s targets of an output of 4.5 GW and a storage capacity of 90 GWh will be comfortably exceeded.
The Anonymous Widower 
Sounds a bit like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shudehill_Mill, where a steam engine was used to ensure a head of water for a cotton mill.
Probably a bit more efficient though.
Comment by R. Mark Clayton | February 19, 2023 |
These schemes are the only viable mega large storage options that are available to deliver decarbonisation and a national task force should be set up to build them if we are to be serious about delivering decarbonisation. Yesterday c44GWh of wind power was constrained off by the ESO oh and we were still having to import from Europe because our transmission system is so inadequate we still need to run gas so that drives up the system price. The bulk of excess wind generation is in Scotland particularly up North end and with SeaGreen now adding new generation on a weekly basis its getting worse. NG ESO has an answer and thats the the two DC interconnectors into England but they are years away still yet even more wind will be added before then. Anyone of these pumped storage schemes would have hoovered up this excess wind generation had they been started at the same time wind farms were being constructed but this country has become so sclerotic at taking decisions consumers are now paying the price.
We did learn the lesson after the chaotic development of electricity in he 1910/20’s when the original national grid was first built in the 1930s and then the CEGB created a world beating nationally integrated system. We still have that vision and skill set to create a decarbonised system but until its planned and organised by a single entity we will never stand a chance of achieving decarbonisation. The construction and operation can still be done by private entities by the way as im not advocating nationalisation.
Comment by Nicholas Lewis | February 20, 2023 |
Thanks! Did you watch Countryfile last night? Half the program was given over to the anti-grid brigade, who object to pylons! One solution is to create electrolysers, where the offshore cables from wind farms land and inject hydrogen into the gas grid.
As to your last point, I suspect there’s scope for a large electricity user to add storage, that not only benefits themselves, but also other business and domestic users.
Take Ipswich, which I know well. South of the town centre, there are a lot of offices, which probably don’t need much night-time power., the football ground, which probably has variable power usage. There is also a large bus garage, which if they go for electric buses, will have a large night-time usage. Much of the rest of the area is car parking and car showrooms.
I suspect that if the municipally-owned bus company did the calculations, a battery could smooth out the power requirements and give a more reliable and cheaper supply for everyone.
Comment by AnonW | February 20, 2023 |
Indeed the anti grid brigade or anti anything brigade is what will be the end of the UK as any sort of first world power.
Comment by Nicholas Lewis | February 20, 2023