Global Atlas of Pumped Hydro Storage to Support High ...

Global Atlas of Pumped Hydro Storage

to Support High Penetration of

Renewable Energy

Matt Stocks, Bin Lu, Ryan Stocks, Cheng Cheng and Andrew Blakers

RE100 Group

http://re100.anu.edu.au/global

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https://opennem.org.au/energy/sa1/

Original load

Net loadHigher ramp rates

Lower minimum generation levels

Capacity inadequacy

Frequent cycling and short peaks

Image source: OpenNEM (2019)

Challenge: intermittency

Stabilise variable renewable electricity

• Technical diversity

– 90% PV and wind (+ existing hydro & biomass)

• Wide geographical dispersion (million km2) hugely reduces storage

– Smoothing-out local weather

• Demand management

– Shift loads from night to day, interruptible loads

• Mass storage

– Pumped hydro: 97% of all storage

– Advanced batteries

Batteries versus pumped hydro

• Batteries low cost

power

• Pumped hydro for low

cost energy

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Batteries versus pumped hydro

• Batteries low cost

power

• Pumped hydro for low

cost energy

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https://opennem.org.au/energy/sa1/

Image source: OpenNEM (2019)

Challenge: intermittency

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https://opennem.org.au/energy/sa1/

Image source: OpenNEM (2019)

Challenge: intermittency

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https://opennem.org.au/energy/sa1/

Image source: OpenNEM (2019)

Challenge: intermittency

Hornsdale Power Reserve

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https://opennem.org.au/energy/sa1/

Image source: OpenNEM (2019)

Challenge: intermittency

Hornsdale Power Reserve

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https://opennem.org.au/energy/sa1/

Image source: OpenNEM (2019)

Challenge: intermittency

Snowy 2.0

Hornsdale Power Reserve

PHES Site searchingIdentify reservoirs locations

– Model watershed

– Simulate 5 -100m dams

Pair reservoirs

– 100-800m head

– Adjust both dam heights for storage

target (e.g. 5 GWh)

Apply cost model

– “A” to “E” ranking (or reject)

Key information recorded

– Reservoir volume and area, dam line

and volume, reservoir shape file, etc

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Cost modelModel developed for ARENA funded STORES project

• Reservoir pair

• Water conveyance (penstock or tunnel)

• Power house (pump/turbine, generator, switchyard)

• Services (roads, water, transmission)

Key relationships (head, power, separation, dam volume) used for

global search ranking

>600,000 unique sites with 23,000 TWh of storage

Requirement to support 100% renewables ~ 20

http://re100.eng.anu.edu.au/global

https://nationalmap.gov.au/renewables/#share=s-oDPMo1jDBBtwBNhD

Open online access to full database on AREMI

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Summary

• Variable renewables growing rapidly

• Pumped hydro well-placed to support transition

• Global off-river atlas developed

– 600,000 sites with >23,000TWh storage

– Full visualisation from global to local scale