pumped-storage hydroelectricity

PPC tender for pumped-storage station at Kardia mine

Posted on by admin

Power utility PPC plans to launch, around a year from now, a tender for the construction of a 148-MW pumped-storage station at the location of the company’s withdrawn lignite mine in Kardia, northern Greece.

The project, budgeted at between 170 and 180 million euros, is expected to be completed three years after a contract for its construction has been signed.

The prospective Kardia pumped-storage station is one of five such units planned by PPC, their total capacity expected to reach 1,000 MW.

Pumped-storage stations can offer long-term electricity storage, making them necessary in power systems with high penetration of renewables, as is expected to be the case in the Greek energy system by 2030, when, according to a draft of the updated National Energy and Climate Plan, renewables will hold a 79 percent share of the power generation mix.

PPC is already staging a tender offering a contract to a consultant specialized in such projects for a feasibility study, basic design and technical specifications of the Kardia pumped-storage unit.

In addition, PPC is carrying out power system stability studies, which are necessary for the project’s design. The findings of the studies will be passed on to the consultant selected through the tender.

The Kardia pumped-storage project plan received an environmental permit last May, as part of a wider investment plan also involving PPC’s former steam power plant and the adjacent lignite mine, also withdrawn.

This plan also includes development of a CHP unit that will support the operation of a regional heating system for Kozani, Ptolemaida and Amyntaio, as well as the conversion of the Kardia III and Kardia IV power stations into modern capacitors. Tenders for the capacitors are already underway.

 

Revised NECP sets more ambitious targets for 2030

Posted on by admin

Greece’s revised National Energy and Climate Plan, forwarded to the  European Commission and published on its website, sets new 2030 targets of 23.5 GW for all forms of renewables, 5.3 GW in energy storage, 7.7 GW in natural gas-fueled power stations, zero lignite presence, as well as a fleet of 460,000 electric vehicles.

In the RES sector, the country’s new NECP sets goals for 2030 of 9.5 GW in wind energy capacity, including 1.9 GW in offshore wind farms; 13.4 GW in solar power capacity; and 0.6 GW in other RES technologies.

Onshore wind farm capacity is planned to expected to increase by 12 GW between now and 2030, from 11.5 GW at present to 23.5 GW in 2030. The 2030 capacity goal for hydropower plants has been set at 3.8 GW.

The energy storage goal of 5.3 GW is expected to consist of 3.1 GW in batteries and 2.2 GW in pumped-storage hydropower stations.

Total annual electricity production is expected to reach 64.6 TWh in 2030, while electricity imports are forecast to be slashed to no more than 3 percent of Greece’s overall electricity generation, according to the revised NECP.

Renewables are planned to represent 44 percent of energy consumption by 2030, up from 35 percent in the previous NECP. Also renewables have been set an objective to contribute 80 percent of electricity production by 2030, significantly higher than the current NECP’s level of 61 percent, and close to 95 percent from 2035 onwards.

The revised NECP includes a zero-carbon emissions target in electricity generation from 2035 onwards.

Carbon emissions have already dropped significantly in 2023 as a result of the withdrawal of lignite-fired power stations.

Growing number of pumped-storage projects planned

Posted on by admin

Energy storage is witnessing dynamic engagement from market players both domestically and internationally, particularly in the realm of large-scale, pumped-storage technology, a trend underscoring the growing demand for low-cost, eco-friendly energy through renewable energy sources.

The Hollow Mountain project in Scotland, being developed by the Drax group at the Ben Cruachan power facility in the Argyll county, is a notable recent example beyond Greece. The project, to be developed at the slope of a mountain, will more-than-double the power facility’s current capacity of 440 MW.

In Greece, Terna Energy is developing a large-scale 680-MW pumped storage project and is being followed by other groups.

One of these, the power utility PPC, is planning the construction of five pumped-storage stations to offer a total capacity of 1,407 MW, an investment worth over one billion euros and set to add to the group’s current portfolio of pumped-storage stations, currently at 696 MW.

These projects hold the potential to address long-term electricity storage requirements that will emerge due to the expanding integration of renewable energy sources into grids.

PPC plans 5 pumped-storage stations, to offer 1,407 MW

Posted on by admin

Power utility PPC plans to develop five pumped-storage hydropower stations promising a total capacity of 1,407 MW, while a tender to offer a development contract for the first of these projects is expected to be staged within 2024.

The five projects, expected to require investments of more than one billion euros, will significantly boost PPC’s existing portfolio of pumped-storage hydropower stations, currently offering a total capacity of 696 MW.

Terna Energy’s development of a 680-MW pumped-storage hydropower station in Amfilohia, northwestern Greece, now in progress, will add to the country’s overall PSH capacity.

The first of PPC’s five prospective pumped-storage hydropower stations, a 148-MW unit, is planned to be developed at the Kardia lignite station, just south of Thessaloniki.

Among the five projects, it is worth noting that the Kardia project’s licensing procedure has progressed to the most advanced stage – an environmental permit has been obtained – and, subsequently, will be the first to be developed.

As for PPC’s four other pumped-storage hydropower stations, the company just submitted energy storage license applications to a June licensing cycle.

Two of PPC’s four projects, each with capacities of 460 MW, are planned to be developed at Lake Vegoritida and Sfikia, both in Greece’s north. The new Sfikia project will come as an addition to PPC’s existing pumped-storage hydropower station in the same area.

The other two PPC projects are planned to be developed at former lignite mines, one in Megalopolis, central Peloponnese, the other at Mavropigi, close to Ptolemaida, in the country’s north.

The overall capacity of the country’s pumped-storage hydropower stations will need to rise to 2,500 MW if the updated National Energy and Climate Plan’s RES target, aiming for 80 percent of the energy mix by 2030, is to be achieved.

 

 

‘RES hurdles keeping Greece 80% reliant on fossil fuel imports’

Posted on by admin

Terna Energy president Giorgos Peristeris has spoken out against the country’s energy policy, citing a number of factors which he believes are restricting the development and greater market penetration of renewables and energy storage projects, including pumped-storage stations.

The Terna Energy chief, speaking at the group’s annual shareholders’ meeting yesterday, blamed the state, regional and municipal authorities for RES project delays, which, he noted, have kept the country 80-percent dependent on fossil fuel imports for energy.

Peristeris noted it is ironic that a country such as Greece, endowed with over 330 days of sunshine a year, rich wind energy potential in mountain areas and seas, and landscape favoring the development of hydroelectric and pumped-storage projects, opposes, in various ways, the production of clean, domestic and free energy, instead remaining dependent on imported fossil fuels.

He also described as “outrageous” the daily energy sufficiency concerns of operators at a time when energy storage technology has made tremendous progress.

Peristeris described the resistance raised by assorted groups opposing the installation of wind energy facilities in various parts of the country as  “hypocritical”.

Consumers and taxpayers would have paid an additional 4 billion euros for their electricity over the past 18 months without the contribution of wind farms, he contended.

The Terna Energy president went on to say that unwarranted fears about wind turbines are being expressed at a time when coastal areas, mountains and streams are suffering irreversible and destructive intervention as a result of numerous arbitrary constructions.

Casting more blame on the state, he noted that the public remains largely unaware of the fact that 3 percent of annual gross revenue accumulated by RES ventures is returned to local municipalities.

 

PCI/PMI list preliminary ratings out, GREGY a borderline case

Posted on by admin

The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Energy, preparing a shortlist of electricity projects for a sixth PMI/PCI list, including Projects of Mutual Interest and Projects of Common Interest, has just staged a teleconference with representatives of projects vying for a place on the list.

As for the PMI list, the Brussels officials, in addition to preliminary ratings for candidate projects, also presented their criteria and formula applied for appraisals.

The presentation of these details was necessary as, under the revised TEN-E Regulation, new PMI selection criteria are being used for the first time for projects also involving non-EU members.

According to energypress sources, the GAP Interconnector, an Egyptian-Cretan power grid interconnection project plan been promoted by the Eunice group, was not appraised, as had been expected, because it has not secured Letters of Support from the Greek state.

GREGY, another Greek-Egyptian grid interconnection plan, which is being promoted by the Copelouzos group, was given a preliminary rating of 9.3, just below the 10-level score required for inclusion on the PMI list.

GREGY project officials have until June 30, when the PMI shortlist will be announced, to enhance their project’s dossier with additional details that could boost its rating and secure a place on the PMI shortlist. Copelouzos group officials are confident this can be achieved.

The Euroasia Interconnector, planned to link the Israeli, Cypriot and Greek power grids, has amassed the points needed to secure its inclusion on the PMI shortlist.

A total of five European projects, two of these with Greek interests, have achieved preliminary scores offering places on the PCI shortlist.

One of the two Greek projects, Terna Energy’s pumped-storage station project plan for Amfilohia, northwestern Greece, was included on the EU’s PCI list in 2013, while all indications suggest it will retain its place on the list’s sixth edition.

The Eunice group’s Ptolemaida BESS, a 250-MW energy storage facility planned for Ptolemaida, northern Greece, has scored highly for a place on the revised PCI shortlist.

Elevated reservoir levels offer positive outlook for summer

Posted on by admin

The country’s grid is entering the summer in sound shape regarding energy sufficiency, aided by the absence of issues at main power plants, an accumulation of lignite stockpiles at power plant yards and mines, the imminent addition of 1,500 MW in July, when two new power plants developed by the Mytilineos group and power utility PPC begin operating at full scale, and, above all, abundant water levels at hydropower facilities.

Reservoir water levels, usually the biggest concern for the power grid operator at this time of the year, are above last year’s level and currently offer 3,000 GWh compared to 2,940 GWh a year ago.

This rise is the result of increased rainfall in May and early June, as well as the operation of power utility PPC’s pumped-storage facilities at two dams, Sykia (Haliacmon river) and Thisavros (Nestos river).

Pumped-storage facilities operate as hydroelectric energy storage, based on a configuration of two water reservoirs at different elevations that can generate power as water moves down from one to the other, passing through a turbine. The system also requires power as it pumps water back into the upper reservoir.

The news is also favorable in terms of wholesale electricity prices, currently down to a two-year low. Wholesale electricity was priced at 83 euros per MWh in June, 2021, skyrocketed as high as 436 euros per MWh in August, 2022, and has now fallen, between June 1 and 6, to an average price of around 80 euros per MWh.

It still remains unclear if such a low level can be maintained throughout June. Cool early-summer weather conditions at present are helping subdue electricity demand and, in turn, keeping wholesale electricity prices down.

New NECP foresees big rise in pumped storage stations by ’30

Posted on by admin

Construction of new pumped storage stations and an increase in battery installations are fundamental to the updated National Energy and Climate Plan’s target for greater RES representation in the country’s energy mix by the end of this decade.

The revised NECP, presented yesterday at the Interministerial Committee, includes a higher RES target of 28 GW and an increased energy storage target, for all technologies, to 8 GW by 2030.

A news conference covering the revised NECP’s details may be staged tomorrow.

The new NECP envisages pumped storage stations with a total capacity of 700 MW by 2030, through two power utility PPC facilities at Sfikia and Thisavros in the country’s north.

TERNA Energy has also planned a 680-MW pumped-storage facility in Amfilohia, northwestern Greece, whose completion would take the country’s capacity for this technology to 1,380 MW.

The 8-GW energy storage target set by the new NECP will require battery installations of more than 5 GW.

The new NECP will aim for a balanced approach between a RES capacity increase and energy savings. An energy consumption reduction of 6.2 percent, compared to 2020, has been set.

New NECP at Interministerial Committee on Monday

Posted on by admin

The revised National Energy and Climate Plan, a strategy of greater ambition aiming for 24 GW in wind and solar energy installations, 4 GW in hydropower and pumped-storage stations, as well as energy storage projects totaling 8 GW, all by 2030, is scheduled to be presented at the Interministerial Committee on Monday.

As a next step, the road map of the NECP, now completed according to energypress sources, will be officially announced by the energy ministry before undergoing consultation.

The RES sector’s share of the energy mix has been increased to 80 percent in the revised NECP, up from a 65 percent target set in the previous edition.

The existing NECP’s RES and hydropower target had been set at 19 GW. The revised version’s target has been boosted to 28 GW.

The RES installation target of 24 GW, it should be noted, includes offshore wind farms of 2 to 2.5 GW, indicating that the NECP is, for the first time, committing to the development of this new green energy technology.

Last year ended with operating wind and solar facilities of 10.2 GW, meaning installations representing a total capacity of 13.8 GW for the two RES technologies will need to be installed over the next eight years if the NECP’s 24-GW target is to be achieved.

‘Energy storage installations can wait for lower prices’

Posted on by admin

The National Technical University of Athens’ professor Stavros Papathanasiou, also head of the energy ministry’s committee for energy storage, has proposed, in an interview with energypress, a rational and careful approach to Greece’s storage needs.

A RES energy-mix share of 80 percent by 2030 will require more pumped-storage projects, while decisions on the prospective installation of 900 to 1,000 MW in energy storage systems – a capacity to soon become available through auction procedures – can be left for later on, when price levels for this technology will have fallen significantly, the NTUA professor noted.

The professor also offered a detailed analysis on how storage investments should be remunerated when they provide congestion relief services to the system.

He also stressed the role of storage stations in combination with RES stations (behind the meter) is absolutely crucial, adding that investors behind existing photovoltaic and wind energy facilities should be given incentives to install batteries as a part of their investments.

The professor also noted it is necessary to reform the existing net metering system so that production and consumption of energy could be synchronized instead of having energy injected into the grid at times of congestion.

Energy storage capacity objective 1,500 MW by 2030

Posted on by admin

A new support framework concerning energy storage stations will be attached to a RES licensing simplification draft bill headed for imminent consultation, the objective being to have the bill ratified in parliament by the end of this month.

Authorities aim to have energy storage units offering a total capacity of 1,500 MW installed and functioning by 2030, 700 MW of these in the form of pumped storage stations, the other 800 MW as batteries.

The Greek market’s current conditions are challenging for the sustainability of energy storage stations. As a result, Greece is the first EU member state to have notified the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Competition of the need for an energy storage support framework.

Investment support worth 200 million euros is planned to be provided through the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) to finance 700-MW in batteries.

Investors eligible for this RRF support will qualify through competitive procedures, the first of these scheduled to take place this coming summer.

Investment interest in energy storage is currently elevated. A total of 78 applications for energy storage stations representing a total capacity of 4,800 MW have been submitted to RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy.

Brussels pressures Athens for energy storage support plan

Posted on by admin

The country’s plan for a competitive procedure to be applied for energy storage unit subsidies needs to be finalized as soon as possible, the European Commission has informed Greece’s energy ministry.

Brussels has called for swift action so that its assessment of the Greek plan can be based on current EU directive criteria concerning state aid in the environment and energy sectors.

Given the fact that these EU directives will be revised as of 2022, the procedure will need to be completed by the end of this year.

If Brussels is to offer its approval of the Greek plan by the end of December, Athens will ideally need to deliver its proposal by the end of this month as a two-month period for any observations and exchange between the two sides will be needed.

According to energypress sources, two auctions each offering energy storage capacities of 350 MW, for an overall total of 700 MW, is seen as the likeliest scenario.

Funds worth 200 million euros are planned to be made available for energy storage support through the national recovery plan, dubbed Greece 2.0. Also taking into account support planned for pumped storage stations, this sum is expected to reach 450 million euros.

The energy ministry’s secretary-general Alexandra Sdoukou recently noted that this sum should provide subsidies covering up to 40 percent of the cost of energy storage projects needed to support the planned increase in RES penetration by 2030.

Energy storage interest enormous, applications for over 12 GW

Posted on by admin

Investment interest for the installation of energy storage units is already considerable, even though related licensing and support mechanism frameworks have yet to be established, data presented yesterday by RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, has shown.

According to the data, RAE, since October, 2019, has received 123 applications for prospective energy storage and pumped storage projects representing a total of 12,229 MW.

Of these applications, 110 concern energy storage systems representing a total capacity of 9,102 MW, the RAE data showed.

To date, RAE has already issued production licenses for 38 energy storage units with a total capacity of 3,582 MW.

A further 12 applications representing 2,447 MW are for pumped storage units, not including a Terna Energy project in Amfilohia, northwestern Greece.

So far, RAE has issued three licenses for pumped storage facilities representing 807 MW.

Energy ministry officials already suspect the energy storage market may experience overheating issues, as has been the case with the RES market.

Energy storage subsidies to ‘cover up to 40% of project cost’

Posted on by admin

The energy ministry is close to finalizing the shape of its proposal for a competitive procedure concerning investment support qualification for energy storage units through the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility, the ministry’s secretary-general Alexandra Sdoukou informed yesterday during a speech on the first day of a conference titled “Investing in Green Energy Transition: Energy Storage – New Technologies – Energy Saving”.

According to Sdoukou, the ministry is striving to forward its proposal to the European Commission as soon as possible as Athens aims to launch the competitive procedure in the first quarter of 2022.

Investors are expected to be offered 200 million euros through the competitive procedure as investment support for energy storage systems totaling at least 500 MW.

Greece is expected to have determined and notified all qualifying parties by the second quarter of 2023.

The government aims to offer a total of 450 million euros as investment support for energy storage and pumped storage projects.

Sdoukou asserted that this amount will suffice to cover subsidies of up to 40 percent for the development of energy storage systems, necessary to support the country’s increased RES penetration objective set for 2030.

Energy storage subsidy program in 1Q next year

Posted on by admin

A competitive procedure to offer 200 million euros in subsidies for energy storage projects is planned to take place in the first quarter of 2022, energy minister Kostas Skrekas has told the 6th Delphi Economic Forum, making clear the ministry’s determination to utilize as swiftly as possible funds being made available for energy storage through the national recovery plan, dubbed Greece 2.0.

In the lead-up, the energy ministry intends to invite investors interested in participating in the procedure to submit investment plans in autumn.

The procedure will be based on a related framework, describing the conditions and terms, to require the European Commission’s approval.

The subsidy program will financially support energy storage installations to offer capacity totaling hundreds of MW, the minister told the forum.

The Greece 2.0 national recovery plan, to carry funds expected to be worth a total of 450 million euros, will also be used to support the development of pumped storage stations.

Investors have expressed tremendous interest in the development of energy storage units. RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, has received a large number of production license applications for various RES technology units.

Since 2019, RAE has received a total of 98 applications for energy storage units, pumped storage facilities and hybrid stations, representing a total of 8,213 MW, which, along with a prospective pumped storage station set for development by Terna Energy in Amfilohia, northwestern Greece, will reach 8,893 MW.

To date, RAE has granted licenses for the majority of these applications, while 34, representing 4,519 MW, still need to be processed.

 

Terna Energy pumped storage station construction in October

Posted on by admin

Terna Energy has taken a final investment decision, worth 500 million euros, on the development of a pumped storage station complex in Amfilohia, northwestern Greece, whose construction is planned to begin in October and be completed within four years, the company’s hydroelectric projects director, Yioula Tsiknakou, has informed an IENE online workshop on energy storage.

The complex is planned to generate a total of 816 GWh, annually, and offer a total installed capacity of 680 MW (production) and 730 MW (pumping).

It will consist of two independent upper reservoirs, Agios Georgios and Pyrgos, with respective capacities of approximately 5 and 2 million cubic meters, and power utility PPC’s existing common lower reservoir, Kastraki Lake, developed in 1960.

Over 70 percent of the investment’s funds are planned to stem from the Greek market.

Its construction is expected to create approximately 1,200 jobs while a 100-member workforce will be employed once the unit is in operation.

Pumped storage stations are the most appropriate form of technology for mass energy storage, Tsiknakou, the Terna Energy official, told the IENE workshop.

Pumped storage stations are nowadays the most widespread mass energy storage solution, representing over 94 percent of installed energy storage capacity and offering total capacity of 161 GW around the world.

Recovery fund subsidies worth €400m for energy storage units

Posted on by admin

The energy ministry plans to allot 400 million euros of EU recovery fund money to the development of central electrical energy storage units. A related proposal by the ministry is headed for inclusion into the national recovery plan.

The aforementioned sum will be used to subsidize energy storage projects and will be made available to investors through a mechanism whose details are still being negotiated by government and European Commission officials.

Once the mechanism has taken final shape it will be forwarded to Brussels’ Directorate-General for Competition and Directorate-General for Energy for approval from both, necessary ahead of its implementation.

Though further details on the prospective support mechanism remain unknown, its subsidies are expected to be offered through a competitive procedure promoting selected projects.

At this point, developments have indicated both central energy storage technologies – pumped hydroelectric energy storage and accumulators (battery units) – will be eligible for subsidy support.

A study on central energy storage conducted by the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) for RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, has shown that a combination of these two technologies is the optimal solution, as each covers different needs.

Pumped hydro storage key for decarbonization cost reduction

Posted on by admin

A new study by independent researchers from Imperial College London has found that just 4.5GW of new long duration 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.

Commissioned by SSE Renewables via Imperial Consultants the report – Whole-System Value of Long-Duration Energy Storage in a Net-Zero Emission Energy System for Great Britain – focused on the benefits of new long-duration pumped hydro storage in Scotland, as the current most established long-duration energy storage technology.

The main 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.

In its recent Energy White Paper, the UK Government set out that long-duration storage technologies like pumped hydro, would play an essential role in decarbonizing UK’s electricity supply by integrating renewable energy and maintaining security of supply.

The study, by Imperial’s researchers, found that 75% of the savings to the energy system would be from the avoided capital expenditure in higher cost electricity generation technologies that would otherwise be needed to meet the UK’s target of carbon neutrality by 2050 whilst meeting security of supply.

 

PPC green plan includes pumped storage, hydrogen, old generator use

Posted on by admin

Power utility PPC’s green-energy plan represents a key part of the company’s new business plan, along with a newly adopted customer-oriented approach and the digital transformation of production and distribution networks, deputy chief executive Giannis Kopanakis has pointed out during a speech at the 3rd Athens Investment Forum.

PPC’s green energy plan will be based on decarbonization, through a gradual withdrawal of the corporation’s lignite-fired power stations, and RES market penetration, the deputy noted.

Telethermal need coverage, development of large-scale solar energy farms at former lignite mines, and investments in energy storage, biomass, hydrogen and other new technologies all feature in the transition plan for lignite-dependent local economies, Kopanakis told the conference.

As for energy storage, PPC, besides batteries, also intends to develop pumped-storage systems at depleted lignite sites, appropriate for use as small-scale reservoirs.

The development of hydrogen producing facilities, also included in the PPC plan, will greatly depend on decisions concerning the fuel mix the corporation’s new Ptolemaida V power station will run on beyond 2028.

PPC also plans to utilize existing mechanical equipment of lignite-fired power stations either closed or headed for closure through use at other company facilities. Generators at old power stations are planned to be converted into condensers for grid voltage stability. Such systems will be needed as a result of the sharp increase in RES stations.

PPC’s investment plan, budgeted at 2.2 billion euros, is expected to create at least 900 permanent jobs as well as 3,000 temporary positions, for the construction of new projects, Kopanakis said.

 

US wants Greece as partner for pumped storage projects

Posted on by admin

Recognizing the importance of pumped storage hydropower technology as a means for energy storage, the US is promoting the establishment of a related international forum to bring together countries and companies for co-development of such projects.

According to sources, Greek deputy energy minister Gerassimos Thomas has received an invitation from the US department of energy and the International Hydropower Association requesting Greece’s participation in a US-headed multidisciplinary platform that will seek to reinforce the role of pumped-storage technology in current and future energy systems.

Pumped storage hydropower supply during the pandemic has provided vital energy support for US households, hospitals and schools, American experts have determined.

Washington believes pumped storage hydropower projects are capable of enhancing the reliability of grids and supporting further renewable energy penetration. This technology, regarded as tried and tested, can be further developed in the energy transition era, US experts support.

Pumped storage hydropower currently represents about 94 percent of global energy storage capacity, latest data has shown.

A pumped storage hydropower project planned by Greece’s GEK TERNA in Amfilohia, western Greece, is regarded as a pioneering initiative in Europe.

The country’s energy ministry has approached the European Commission for special funding support for this project, budgeted at over 500 million euros.

 

Pumped-storage project support plan delivered to Brussels

Posted on by admin

The energy ministry has delivered to the European Commission, for approval, a special support framework proposal concerning a 680-MW pumped-storage hydroelectricity project planned by GEK TERNA in Amfilohia, western Greece.

The project has been on the EU’s list of Projects of Common Interest (PCI) since 2012, while its studies have received Juncker Plan financing.

The total budget of the project, planned to generate 816 GWh annually, is expected to exceed 500 million euros.

Pumped-storage hydroelectricity allows energy from intermittent sources, such as solar, wind and other renewables, or excess electricity from continuous base-load sources, including coal, to be saved for periods of higher demand.

Also, pumped-storage hydroelectricity is a technology that promises major  support for domestic value-added sectors as its investments concurrently create thousands of jobs, boost public revenue, tax collections and social security fund contributions, besides resolving energy issues.

PPC eyeing Dubai pumped storage hydropower project

Posted on by admin

The main power utility PPC is preparing to submit an offer for the construction of a 250-MW pumped storage hydropower plant (PSHPP) in Hatta, southeast of Dubai City.

The project, estimated to be worth over 450 million euros, is planned to utilize water at the Al Hattawi dam in Hatta, near the UAE’s border with Oman.

PPC aims to take part in the project’s tender as the head of a consortium including Archirodon Construction (Overseas) Co Ltd. and Hitachi – Mitsubishi Hydro Corporation.

The project description includes construction of a higher-elevation reservoir with a storage capacity of 880 million gallons, 300 meters above the Al Hattawi dam, whose storage capacity measures 1.72 billion gallons of water. The dam lies 400 meters above sea level. The distance between the existing dam and prospective higher-elevation reservoir will be approximately 3 to 4 kilometers.

During off-peak hours, turbines are planned to pump water from the existing dam to the higher-elevation reservoir, utilizing solar energy.

Last June, DEWA, the state-run Dubai Electricity and Water Authority commissioned EDF, at a price of 15.8 million dollars, to prepare plans for the project, including design, geological, hydrygeological, environmental and excavation studies.  DEWA announced the completion of this stage in November.

An initial November 18, 2018 deadline has been extended to January 13 following requests by participants.

PPC and Archirodon, a Dutch group headquartered in Dordrecht, are joining forces for the first time following the signing of a MoU for a five-year partnership, announced last October.

Archirodon has maintained an international presence, offering EPC services, for approximately 60 years, including in the Middle East and North Africa regions.

 

PPC, Terna in pumped-storage hydroelectricity project talks

Posted on by admin

The main power utility PPC is engaged in talks with Terna Energy for a possible partnership concerning the latter’s plan to develop pumped-storage hydroelectricity facilities in Amfilohia, western Greece, and the Cretan region Amari, PPC’s chief executive Manolis Panagiotakis disclosed at the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair while addressing the utility’s decision to make a decisive turn towards green energy.

The energy sector’s future lies in renewable energy incorporating storage systems, Panagiotakis supported.

“Crete and other areas have potential. We have begun talks with Terna and other firms for the development of such projects by also utilizing existing lakes, such as the artificial lake at the Amari area’s rivers, with wind turbines,” the PPC boss explained.

Pumped-storage hydroelectricity allows energy from intermittent sources, such as solar, wind and other renewables, or excess electricity from continuous base-load sources, including coal, to be saved for periods of higher demand.

Terna Energy plans to develop a 680-MW facility in Amfilohia and a 93-MW plant at Amari, Crete.