Companies Worldwide Adopt Hydroelectric Pumped Storage Projects Diversify Renewables

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--International hydroelectric pumped-storage projects are being developed worldwide to provide needed peak electric load and to balance the variability of some renewable energy resources, such as windfarms and solar power projects. Industrial Info is tracking 25,360 megawatts (MW) of pumped storage projects, with more than $24.5 billion worth of investment value.

The big players in hydro pumped-storage construction, life extension, and modernization worldwide are Andritz Hydro Gmbh (Graz, Austria); Voith Hydro (Heidenheim, Germany), which is a joint venture between Voith and Siemens AG (NYSE:SI) (Munich, Germany); Toshiba Corporation (Tokyo, Japan); Alstom Hydro (Levallois-Perret, France); and ABB Limited (NYSE:ABB) (Zurich, Switzerland).

The largest projects being tracked by Industrial Info are the 2,400-MW Yangjiang Pumped-Storage Power Station on the Yangjiang River in Guangdong China, which is under construction by China Guangdon Nuclear Power Group (Shenzhen, China) and is scheduled to be completed in 2016, and the 1,000-MW Pumpspeicherkraftwerk Puschlav Pumped-Storage Power Station near Lake Pushlave in Graubunden, Switzerland, which is scheduled to begin construction in 2016 by Raetia Energie AG (Poschavio, Switzerland).

A surge in hydro power-pumped storage projects is expected worldwide as utilities and companies look to add the technology to diversify their portfolios of renewable energy power, such as wind and solar power. A recent Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) study concluded that higher renewable portfolio standards could result in significant amounts of surplus energy that cannot be used on the grid or sold to others. Additionally, the study found, the typical six- to 11-year lead time for transmission construction is a barrier to integrating renewable power. U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu called for increased investment in pumped-storage hydropower to support an expanded electricity transmission grid that would carry a greater share of intermittent generation from wind and solar sources. The need for hydro pumped storage was a topic at the recently concluded Renewable Energy World Conference & Expo North America 2010 in Austin, Texas.

More than 127,000 MW of pumped storage capacity is operational worldwide. In addition, the pumped storage market is expected to grow 60% over the next four years, to more than 203,000 MW.

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