State grid focuses on pumped hydro energy storage

Is pumped storage hydropower the future of grid storage?

While batteries, compressed air, flywheels and other emerging technologies often capture the headlines, pumped storage hydropower has continued to advance its capabilities as the leading grid storage solution allowing for even more optionality in the effort to integrate intermittent renewable energy in a reliable and cost-effective manner.

What is pumped storage hydropower?

Pumped storage hydropower is the most common type of energy storage in use today. It saves excess power by using it to pump water from a lower reservoir to an upper one at night when electricity demand is low and releasing it to generate power during the day when demand is high.

How many pumped storage hydropower stations are there in China?

State Grid, the largest power provider in the country, said it constructed 23 pumped storage hydropower stations during the 13th Five-Year-Plan period (2016-20) with a total installed capacity of 30.93 million kW and a total investment of almost 180 billion yuan.

Where is China's pumped-hydro storage project located?

State Grid Corp. of China says it has finalized a pumped-hydro storage project consisting of four reversible pump-turbine generator units, each with a capacity of 350 MW. It is located near Xiamen, in China’s Fujian province.

Where is Fengning pumped storage power station located?

The Fengning Pumped Storage Power Station. Image: State Grid Corp of China The State Grid Corporation of China, which is China’s largest state-owned grid operator and power utility, has commissioned, last week, the 3.6GW Fengning Pumped Storage Power Station, a pumped-storage hydroelectric power station located in Hebei province.

How does Xiamen pumped storage power station work?

The station is connected to the Fujian power grid through two 500 kV transmission lines. The Xiamen Pumped Storage Power Station will pump water to a high-altitude reservoir during valley periods and generate electricity during peak periods, effectively balancing the grid’s peak and valley demand.