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