XFLEX - Upgrading pumped storage for the energy transition



In this episode of Next Generation Hydro, by XFLEX HYDRO, Matteo Bianciotto discusses two types of upgrades to pumped storage plants: variable speed and hydraulic short circuit.

With his guests, Jean-Louis Drommi (EDF), Filipe Duarte (EDP) and Christophe Nicolet (Power Vision Engineering), Matteo Bianciotto explores in more detail the decisions to upgrade the largest pumped storage plant in Europe (Grand`Maison) with hydraulic short-circuit and incorporate variable speed into Frades II in Portugal. With his expert guests, he explores the benefits and challenges of implementing each solution.

Background
As the share of intermittent renewables in the energy mix increases, balancing consumption and generation and keeping the power grid stable is becoming more important, but also more challenging.

If you own a pumped storage plant, you are at an advantage. Pumped storage hydropower can help stabilise power systems by absorbing excess power produced by variable renewable energy sources and releasing it when demand is high.

Until now, when operating in pump mode, operators had limited control over the amount of power absorbed and very limited opportunities to increase their revenues by participating in ancillary service markets.

The European research and innovation project XFLEX HYDRO has demonstrated that technologies such as hydraulic short circuit and variable speed turbines can solve this limitation. These technologies can enable plant operators to control the power they absorb from the system when pumping and simultaneously unlock participation in the market for grid stability services.