The Anonymous Widower

Fifth Hydro Project Proposed At Loch Ness

The title of this post. is the same as that of this article on the BBC.

This is the sub-heading.

The local community is to be asked for its views next week on plans for a new hydro-electric scheme at Loch Ness.

These three paragraphs introduce the new scheme.

Glen Earrach Energy’s, external (GEE) pumped storage hydro project is the fifth hydro scheme proposed for the Loch Ness area.

The company said its project on Balmacaan Estate would create clean energy while protecting the environment, and create 600 on-site jobs.

But concerns have been raised about the number of planned schemes, with Ness District Salmon Fishery Board worried about the effect on wild fish.

The project has a web site, which has a section entitled About The Project, where this is said.

Glen Earrach Energy, which means “Valley of Spring” in Gaelic, stands at the forefront of energy innovation. The Pumped Storage Hydro (PSH) project, located at Balmacaan Estate, Scotland, is a critical component for achieving a net-zero grid by 2030.

The project prioritises environmental preservation and biodiversity enhancement while achieving outstanding efficiency in energy storage and generation.

This ensures a healthier and more sustainable balance between harnessing natural energy resources and the maintenance and reinforcement of the surrounding ecosystem.

Note.

  1. It doesn’t say, but it looks like Glen Earrach Energy aim to complete the project by 2030.
  2. Glen Earrach Energy also seem to be playing a strong environmental card.

But nothing is said about the size of the project.

This article on Business Insider, which is entitled £3 billion Loch Ness Hydro Project Plans Unveiled, does give some details.

  • Potential Investment – More than £2 billion
  • Output – 2 GW
  • Storage Capacity – 30 GWh
  • The project could create at least 600 on-site construction jobs in Scotland over a six-year period, plus many thousands more locally in the supply chain.

It is larger, than SSE’s flagship Coire Glas pumped storage hydroelectric power station, which is planned to be a 1.5 GW/30 GWh station, at the other end of the Great Glen.

I have some thoughts.

The Existing Hydro Schemes On Loch Ness

According to the BBC article, there are two existing hydro schemes on Loch Ness.

  • Foyers is described on this web site and is a reasonably modern 305 MW/6.3 GWh pumped storage hydroelectric power station, that was built by SSE Renewables in the last fifty years.
  • Glendoe is described on this web site and is a modern 106.5 MW conventional hydroelectric power station, that was built by SSE Renewables in the last twenty years.

Foyers and Glendoe may not be the biggest hydroelectric power stations, but they’re up there in size with most solar and onshore wind farms. Perhaps we should look for sites to develop 100 MW hydroelectric power stations?

The Proposed Hydro Schemes On Loch Ness

According to the BBC article, there are four proposed hydro schemes on Loch Ness.

  • Coire Glas is described on this web site and will be a 1.5GW/30 GWh pumped storage hydroelectric power station, that is being developed by SSE Renewables.
  • Fearna is described on this web site and will be a 1.8GW/37 GWh pumped storage hydroelectric power station, that is being developed by Gilkes Energy.
  • Loch Kemp is described on this web site and will be a 600MW/9 GWh pumped storage hydroelectric power station, that is being developed by Statera.
  • Loch Na Cathrach is described on this web site and will be a 450MW/2.8 GWh pumped storage hydroelectric power station, that is being developed by Statktaft.

In addition there is, there is the recently announced Glen Earrach.

  • Glen Earrach is described on this web site and will be a 2GW/30 GWh pumped storage hydroelectric power station, that is being developed by Glen Earrach Energy.

Note.

  1. The total power of the seven pumped storage hydroelectric power stations is 4.76 GW.
  2. The total storage capacity is 85.1 GWh.

The storage capacity is enough to run all turbines flat out for nearly five hours.

Could Glendoe Be Updated To Pumped Storage?

The Wikipedia entry for the Glendoe Hydro Scheme mentions pumped storage several times.

In Glendoe Hydro Power Station, I estimate that a Glendoe pumped storage scheme could be perhaps 50 % bigger than the system at Foyers.

I feel that if more storage capacity is needed in the Highlands, then Glendoe could be converted to pumped storage.

May 19, 2024 Posted by | Energy, Energy Storage | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

SSE Renewables Buys 100MW/200MWh Northern Ireland BESS Project

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Energy Storage News.

These five paragraphs describe the acquisition and SSE Renewables progress as they build a portfolio of Battery Energy Storage Systems.

A 100MW/200MWh BESS project in Northern Ireland has been acquired by the renewable energy development subsidiary of UK-headquartered power generator and developer SSE.

The 2-hour duration Derrymeen battery in Dungannon, County Tyrone was bought from developer Heron Energy and would be the largest installed BESS facility in Northern Ireland when online.

Subject to a final investment decision by SSE Renewables, the shovel-ready project will be constructed on a greenfield site located outside Coalisland, around five miles from Dungannon.

If approved for final delivery, construction could commence early next year and the BESS would be operational by the end of 2026. It will connect to the grid via an underground cable to the nearby existing Tamnamore substation.

This is SSE Renewables’ first battery storage development in Northern Ireland, having already an established green portfolio in Britain. The firm launched its first operational BESS in the GB market on 15 April in the form of a 50MW/100MWh asset located in Salisbury, Wiltshire.

This battery is a two-hour battery, as are the other two batteries, that are mentioned in the article, that are being developed by SSE Renewables.

Is this a standard for SSE Renewables?

May 8, 2024 Posted by | Energy, Energy Storage | , , , | Leave a comment

Coire Glas Exploratory Tunnel 70% Complete

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article in Ground Engineering.

This is the sub-heading.

A tunnel to investigate ground conditions at SSE Renewables’ Coire Glas project to build a pumped hydro scheme in the Scottish Highlands is 70% complete, as wider ground investigations come to an end.

These are the first three paragraphs.

Coire Glas on the shores of Loch Lochy in Great Glen is the first large scale pumped hydro storage scheme to be developed in the UK for more than 40 years.

It would take excess energy from the grid and use it to pump water 500m up a hill from Loch Lochy to a vast reservoir where it would be stored. This will be done through a tailrace tunnel, underground cavern power station, high pressure tunnel and low-pressure headrace tunnel.

SSE Renewables has started exploratory works on the scheme. This has involved building an up to 1km long and 4m wide tunnel to investigate the ground conditions in which the powerhouse will be built.

All the information gathered will be used in the detailed design of the 1,5GW/30 GWh pumped storage system, which is expected to be a £1.5 billion capital investment.

The Wikipedia entry for Coire Glas power station, says this about the current status and completion.

In December 2023, the exploratory tunnel had reached 720m in length.

A final investment decision will depend on UK government assurances about how the regulated electricity market would reward storage schemes. SSE hope to make that £1.5Bn decision in 2024, in which case the scheme could be completed in 2031.

I suspect that as this is one of the largest green energy projects in the UK, that there’ll be a lot of media coverage of the construction of this power station.

 

April 2, 2024 Posted by | Energy, Energy Storage | , , , , | Leave a comment

SSE Partners With Bord na Móna On 800MW Onshore Wind JV In Ireland

The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from SSE.

These four bullet points, act as sub-headings.

  • Leading low-carbon energy companies SSE Renewables and Bord na Móna continue to progress their respective portfolios in Ireland, by partnering to develop new onshore wind energy projects across the Midlands.
  • More than €1 billion could be invested by the joint venture partnership to develop up to 800MW of new renewable energy projects, enough to provide power to over 450,000 homes.
  • Onshore wind farm projects to be developed as part of the portfolio will include Lemanaghan Wind Farm in north-west Offaly, Littleton Wind Farm in Tipperary, and Garryhinch Wind Farm on the Laois Offaly border.
  • The partnership has the potential to support hundreds of jobs across the Midlands during construction and operation of the onshore wind projects.

Note.

  1. It is a 50:50 project between SSE Renewables and Bord na Móna.
  2. It will deliver 800 MW of onshore wind energy.

These link to the three web sites for the wind farms.

These must be the first phases, as they are nowhere near 800 MW.

There is an interesting comparison to be made here.

So why does England object?

April 1, 2024 Posted by | Energy | , , , , , | 1 Comment

SSE Renewables Partners With Fluence And OCU Energy To Deliver Its Battery Storage Project At Fiddler’s Ferry

The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from SSE Renewables.

This is the sub-heading.

*The 150MW / 300MWh battery energy storage system will be built on the site of the former SSE-owned coal fired power station*

These four paragraphs give full details of the project.

SSE Renewables has announced its principal contractor and battery supplier for its 150MW battery storage project at Fiddler’s Ferry, Warrington.

OCU Energy – who are Stockport-based and are currently working with SSE Renewables on its Ferrybridge battery storage project – will be the principal contractor at Fiddler’s Ferry.

Fluence, a global leader in energy storage technology, digital solutions and services, has been selected as the supplier of the battery-based energy storage system.

Construction is set to begin at the site in the coming weeks after SSE Renewables took a final investment decision back in December 2023.

Note.

  1. This will be a two-hour battery.
  2. Good to see a press release with both battery output and battery capacity shown in the appropriate units.

It’s also good to see, SSE adding to the fleet of the UK’s battery storage.

This page on the SSE Renewables web site is entitled About Solar And Battery.

This is the sub-heading.

SSE Renewables is progressing a 1.2GW secured pipeline of utility-scale solar and battery projects across the UK and Ireland and a further 1.3GW of other prospective sites under development. These assets complement SSE’s existing portfolio of other low carbon infrastructure such as wind and hydro.

This is the first paragraph.

Our solar projects will be capable of harnessing the abundant power of the sun to bring renewable power onto the grid, while our battery projects will be able to store renewable power when the sun doesn’t shine or the wind doesn’t blow. The delivery of these projects is part of our commitment to a net zero transition.

What follows is a job advert.

As an electrical and control engineer, who has enjoyed over fifty years exploring the mathematics of big engineering projects, I don’t regret the choice of career I made.

March 15, 2024 Posted by | Energy, Energy Storage | , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Dogger Bank D Welcomes Confirmation Of Grid Connection Location

The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from SSE Renewables.

This is the sub-heading.

Project team now focusing full attention on electrical transmission system connection.

These four paragraphs describe the proposed connection to the National Grid.

SSE Renewables and Equinor have welcomed confirmation of a grid connection location from the Electricity System Operator (ESO) for a proposed fourth phase of the world’s largest offshore wind farm.

Dogger Bank D will now connect into Birkhill Wood, a proposed new 400kV substation located in the East Riding of Yorkshire which will be built as part of National Grid’s Great Grid Upgrade.

The announcement follows the publication of an impact assessment for the South Cluster by ESO, relating to energy projects which are due to be electrically connected off the east coast of England.

With the location of a grid connection confirmed, Dogger Bank D will now focus its full attention on connecting to the electrical transmission system.

This is a big change from December 2023, when I wrote Plans for Hydrogen Development At Dogger Bank D Gain Ground, which indicated that Dogger Bank D would be used to produce hydrogen, so the grid connection wouldn’t be needed.

Using A Offshore Hybrid Asset Between the UK And Another European Country

This is the next paragraph on the SSE Renewables press release.

The project is also exploring the future possibility of the development of Dogger Bank D to be coordinated with an Offshore Hybrid Asset between the UK and another European country’s electricity market to form a multi-purpose interconnector. This option would increase energy security for the UK and reduce the need to curtail offshore wind output in times of oversupply on the GB network.

Note that just over the boundary of the UK’s Exclusive Economic Zone are the Dutch and German Exclusive Economic Zones.

It is not unreasonable to believe that UK, Dutch and German grid could all be connected on the Dogger Bank.

Connecting Everything Up At Birkhill Wood

This is the next paragraph on the SSE Renewables press release.

The project team are undertaking a site selection process to identify potential cable corridors and where other onshore infrastructure associated with the grid connection at Birkhill Wood may be sited. Consultation will be held later this year to introduce the connection proposals to the local community.

At least now, with the connection to Birkhill Wood confirmed, SSE and Equinor will be able to supply any electricity generated at Dogger Bank D to the UK grid, up to limit of the connection.

The Value Of Electricity That Could Be Generated At Dogger Bank D

Consider.

  • The wind farm has a capacity of 2 GW or 2,000 MW.
  • There are 365 days in most years.
  • There are 24 hours in the day.
  • This means that 17, 520,000 MWh could be generated in a year.
  • A large wind farm like Hornsea One has a twelve month rolling capacity factor of 46.6%.
  • Applying this capacity factor says that 8,164,320 MWh will be generated in a year.
  • The Contract for Difference Round 6 for this electricity will be £73/MWh.

Applying that figure gives a yearly turnover of £ 595,995,360 or £ 297,997,680 per installed GW.

It is not unreasonable to assume that half of this electricity were to be exported to power Germany industry.

It could be a nice little earner for the Treasury.

March 14, 2024 Posted by | Energy | , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

SSE Thermal Acquires 50% Stake In H2NorthEast Hydrogen Project

The title of this post is the same as that of this press release from SSE Thermal.

These are the first three introductory paragraphs.

SSE Thermal has become joint owner of a blue hydrogen project in Teesside which is set to play a major role in supporting a reliable decarbonised power system by 2035 and accelerating industrial decarbonisation.

The partnership with Kellas Midstream will see the companies jointly develop H2NorthEast, a hydrogen production facility with carbon capture and storage that could help to kickstart a hydrogen economy in the Tees Valley. The agreement is for an initial consideration of <£10m to Kellas Midstream with further contingent consideration due should the project reach a financial investment decision.

In its first phase, H2NorthEast could deliver up to 355MW of blue hydrogen production capacity from 2028 with plans to scale up to more than 1GW. Offtakers would include heavy industry and power generation, either through blending into existing assets or in new hydrogen-fired plants.

Note.

  1. Production of 355 MW of hydrogen could start in 2028.
  2. Several existing processes have been converted from gas-firing to hydrogen-firing or a blend of natural gas and hydrogen firing. See Lime Kiln Fuelled By Hydrogen Shown To Be Viable.
  3. Teesside has quite a few industries, like steel and chemicals that theoretically could be  converted to hydrogen or a hydrogen blend.

I have some thoughts.

Carbon Capture And Storage

This paragraph in the press release talks about the carbon capture and storage.

With an anticipated minimum carbon capture rate of 97%, H2NorthEast meets both UK and EU low-carbon standards. Specifically, the hydrogen produced via H2NorthEast would be fully compliant with both the UK’s Low Carbon Hydrogen Standard and is expected to be aligned with the EU Taxonomy for sustainable activities.

If the plant can achieve a carbon capture rate of 97 %, that is very good and it appears to meet the required standards.

  • I also feel, that if it is of a high purity, then that could be a bonus, as it could be used in food manufacturing and other processes, where high purity is needed.
  • I feel SSE should endeavour to use as much of the carbon dioxide, as it can to produce valuable by-products, which could include cement substitutes, building blocks, plasterboard and animal feed.
  • Carbon dioxide can also be fed to soft fruit, salad vegetables, tomatoes, flowers and other plants in giant greenhouses or vertical farms.
  • Polyester yarn can also be made from carbon dioxide.

It is my belief that this list of products will grow in the next ten years and carbon dioxide of a high purity will become an important chemical feedstock.

Replacement of Blue Hydrogen With Green

If SSE Renewables were to build an electrolyser  near to H2NorthEast, they could use that to replace the blue hydrogen.

  • From an offtaker’s point of view green and blue hydrogen would be identical.
  • It’s just that the green hydrogen doesn’t produce any carbon dioxide.
  • I can see the complex being run to produce enough carbon dioxide to supply the users that need it and producing blue and/or green hydrogen accordingly.

Hopefully, the more uses that can be found for the carbon dioxide, the less of it will need to use long-term storage.

Expanding The Plant

As blue and green hydrogen plants create an identical product, the decision of whether to add an extra blue hydrogen or green hydrogen plant can be taken solely on financial grounds.

Conclusion

This looks like it could be a very sensible decision by SSE.

 

 

December 13, 2023 Posted by | Energy, Finance, Hydrogen | , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Building Inside Mountains: Global Demand For Pumped Hydroelectric Storage Soars

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Construction-Europe.

This is the sub-heading.

Pumped hydroelectric storage plants around the world have been secretly storing electricity in remote mountain lakes for the last century. But the switch to renewable energy sources is prompting a surge in new construction.

These two paragraphs introduce the article.

Looking out over the ragged beauty of the Scottish Highlands, Coire Glas, a horseshoe-shaped valley holding a clear mountain lake above the shores of Loch Lochy, seems like an unlikely spot to build a megaproject.

In this remote location, surrounded by clumps of pine trees, a team of construction workers from contractor Strabag are tunnelling their way through the rock which they hope will form part of a vast new power storage facility.

The article is a must-read that talks about pumped storage hydroelectricity in general and SSE Renewables’s 1500MW/30 GWh Coire Glas power station in particular.

The Future Of Pumped Hydroelectric Storage

These two paragraphs from the article give a glimpse into the future.

According to the International Energy Agency, global pumped storage capacity is set to expand by 56% to reach more than 270 GW by 2026, with the biggest growth in India and China.

Current pumped storage megaprojects currently in construction include the Kannagawa Hydropower Plant near Minamiaki in Japan which when fully completed in 2032 is expected to have a total installed capacity of 2,820MW; and Snowy Hydro 2.0 in New South Wales, Australia, which is currently expected to complete in 2028.

Note.

  1. I can count two Indian and ninety Chinese systems under construction. All have a capacity of upwards of one GW.
  2. The Kannagawa Hydropower Plant appears to be the largest with a capacity of 2.82 GW. The Japanese are keeping quiet about the storage capacity.
  3. The Snowy Hydro 2.0 has a capacity of 2 GW and a storage capacity of 350 GWh.
  4. The Wikipedia entry for Snowy Hydro 2.0 states that it is the largest renewable energy project under construction in Australia.

Against this onslaught of massive systems, SSE Renewables are pitching the 1500MW/30 GWh Coire Glas and the 252MW/25 GWh Loch Sloy systems.

Pumped hydroelectric storage will have a big part to play in decarbonising the world. Even in little old and relatively flat UK.

 

 

December 11, 2023 Posted by | Energy | , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Plans for Hydrogen Development At Dogger Bank D Gain Ground

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

Dogger Bank D, the potential fourth phase of the world’s largest offshore wind farm under construction, Dogger Bank Wind Farm, has awarded contracts to engineering consultants to support the feasibility and optimization of a large-scale green hydrogen development option on the project

These three paragraphs outline the project.

SSE Renewables and Equinor, the developers of the Dogger Bank wind farm in the UK, awarded contracts for green hydrogen concept and engineering and optimization studies to Genesis, H2GO Power, and Fichtner.

If progressed for delivery, Dogger Bank D would be located in the North Sea around 210 kilometers off the northeast coast of England. Subject to the successful outcome of further technical studies, the project could be capable of generating up to around 2 GW of renewable power.

The 2 GW offshore wind farm is currently planned to comprise 128 wind turbines and up to six offshore platforms.

Note.

According to the article, this would be one of the UK’s largest green hydrogen production facilities.

The partners said, that the project could contribute to the UK Government’s electrolytic hydrogen ambitions for 5 GW by 2030.

This is said about the studies.

Using AI machine learning and robust modeling, these studies will investigate the multitude of interdependent variables required to optimize a potential green hydrogen production facility, such as offshore wind farm sizing, electrolysis capacity, transport and storage capacity, water availability, and offtake optionality.

I was using robust modelling on projects such as these fifty years ago, both with Artemis and bespoke software.

To my mind, SSE Renewables and Equinor are doing the right thing. If anybody has a similar project with lots of variables, I’d love to give my opinion.

I have some thoughts.

How Much Hydrogen Will Be Produced?

Ryze Hydrogen are building the Herne Bay electrolyser.

  • It will consume 23 MW of solar and wind power.
  • It will produce ten tonnes of hydrogen per day.

The electrolyser will consume 552 MWh to produce ten tonnes of hydrogen, so creating one tonne of hydrogen needs 55.2 MWh of electricity.

 

This would mean that if the Japanese built one Herne Bay-size electrolyser, then it would produce around three hundred tonnes of hydrogen in an average month.

Consider.

  • Dogger Bank D is likely to be a 2 GW wind farm.
  • This document on the OFGEM web site, says that the Dogger Bank wind farms will have a capacity factor of 45 %.
  • This means that Dogger Bank D wind farm will produce an average of 900 MW over a year.
  • This works out at 7,884 GWh of electricity in a year.

As each tonne of hydrogen needs 55.2 MWh to be produced, this means if all the electricity produced by Dogger Bank D, is used to create green hydrogen, then 142,826.1 tonnes will be produced.

How Will The Hydrogen Be Brought Ashore?

142,826.1 tonnes is a lot of green hydrogen and the easiest ways to transfer it to the shore would be by a pipeline  or a tanker.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see the use of tankers, as this would give more flexibility and allow the export of hydrogen to countries in need of hydrogen.

Will There Be Hydrogen Storage In The Dogger Bank D Wind Farm?

This would surely be a possibility, but there are security considerations.

Cost would also be a factor!

The Location Of The Dogger Bank D Wind Farm

I clipped this map of Dogger Bank A, B, C and D wind farms from this page of the Dogger Bank D web site.

Note.

  1. RWE’s Dogger Bank South wind farm is not shown on the map.
  2. Dogger Bank D wind farm is the most Easterly of the four wind farms being developed by SSE Renewables and Equinor.
  3. Dogger Bank D wind farm must be the closest of the Dogger Bank wind farms to the Eastern border of the UK’s Exclusive Economic  Zone or EEZ.

Dogger Bank D wind farm would appear to be ideally placed to supply hydrogen to a number of places, by either pipeline or tanker.

Could Dogger Bank South Wind Farm Also Produce Hydrogen?

In RWE Partners With Masdar For 3 GW Dogger Bank South Offshore Wind Projects, I talked about the change of ownership of the Dogger Bank South wind farm.

I would assume that the Dogger Bank South wind farm will be located to the South of the Dogger Bank A,B, C and D wind farms.

Whether it will produce hydrogen will be a matter for the owners and market conditions.

I do believe though, that it could share some facilities with the those that might be built for Dogger Bank D wind farm.

Conclusion

After this brief look, Dogger Bank D could be an ideal place to build a large hydrogen production facility.

 

December 4, 2023 Posted by | Computing, Energy, Hydrogen | , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Highview Power, Ørsted Find Value In Integrating Offshore Wind With Liquid Air Energy Storage

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

Highview Power and Ørsted have completed their joint investigation into how combining the technologies of Liquid Air Energy Storage (LAES) and offshore wind could unlock greater value for investors and consumers.

These three paragraphs outline the findings.

The results show that there is value in combining offshore wind with LAES to support reducing wind curtailment, increasing productivity, and helping the move to a more flexible, resilient zero-carbon grid, according to Higher Power.

The two companies have carried out analysis of technical performance, route to planning approval, and route to market with a regulatory and economic assessment.

As a result of this study, the companies believe a project can be developed and built aligned with the timeline of an offshore wind farm.

I feel very strongly, that putting the two technologies together is a good idea.

In the simplest cases, the storage could be built into the offshore sub-station.

Could LAES Be Used With Hornsea 4 Wind Farm?

The Wikipedia entry for the Hornsea Wind Farm says this about Hornsea 4.

In July 2023, British government officials gave the final approval for Hornsea Four, the fourth phase of the wind project. Hornsea Four is expected to generate 2.6GW, have 180 giant wind turbines, and has the capability to generate enough renewable energy to power 1 million homes in Britain.

The Wikipedia entry also says this about Hornsea 3.

Project 3 will be to the east of Projects 1 and 2, with an estimated maximum capacity of 2.4 GW over 696 square kilometres (269 sq mi). DONG Energy (which in November 2017 changed its name to Ørsted) began consultation on the project’s development in May 2016. Ørsted submitted a Development consent application in 2018 and consent was granted on 31 December 2020.[69] In early 2023, consent was also given to a battery storage power station at Swardeston. The project is expected to begin construction in 2022, and be completed by 2025.

If Ørsted are adding a battery to the 2.4 GW Hornsea 3 wind farm, I would feel, that Ørsted would think about a battery on the 2.6 GW Hornsea 4 wind farm.

The Energy Storage The UK Needs

This is the last paragraph of the article.

The UK will need up to 100 GWh of energy storage by 2050 according to the estimates from National Grid ESO’s Future Energy Systems Scenario.

SSE Renewables are planning two large pumped-storage hydroelectric power stations in Scotland.

A quick calculation, says we’d need seven pumped-storage hydroelectric power stations, which need a lot of space and a handy mountain.

I don’t think pumped-storage hydroelectric would be feasible.

Highview Power say this about their next projects on this page of their web site.

Highview Power’s next projects will be located in Scotland and the North East and each will be 200MW/2.5GWh capacity. These will be located on the national transmission network where the wind is being generated and therefore will enable these regions to unleash their untapped renewable energy potential and store excess wind power at scale.

Note.

  1. This is more like the size.
  2. Work is now underway at Carrington – a 50MW / 300MWh plant at Trafford Energy Park near Manchester.
  3. Highview’s technology uses liquid air to store energy and well-proven turbo-machinery.

They are a definite possibility, as only eighteen 200MW/2.5GWh systems would be needed.

November 30, 2023 Posted by | Energy, Energy Storage | , , , , , | 2 Comments