Pumped hydro storage (PHS) plays a critical role in enhancing grid resilience and reliability by offering several key benefits:
Contribution to Grid Resilience
- Energy Storage: PHS acts as a large-scale battery, storing energy when there is excess and releasing it when needed. This capability helps stabilize the grid during fluctuations and ensures power availability during prolonged disruptions such as extreme weather events.
- Response to Disruptive Events: By providing a quick response to sudden changes in demand or supply—such as during a major outage—PHS can absorb and adapt to disruptions, aligning with the definition of resilience as outlined by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
- Low Global Warming Potential: Closed-loop PSH systems have a very low global warming potential compared to other energy storage alternatives, making them a clean contributor to grid resilience.
Contribution to Grid Reliability
- Dispatchable Power: PHS is a highly dispatchable form of power generation, meaning it can generate electricity on demand. This is crucial for offsetting the variability of renewable sources like solar and wind.
- Ancillary Services: PHS provides essential ancillary services such as frequency response and reactive power support. It helps maintain grid stability by adjusting output to match demand and supply fluctuations, which is particularly important in regions with high renewable penetration.
- Black Start Capability: Hydropower, including PHS, offers significant black start capability, allowing it to initiate grid restarts after major power outages, further ensuring grid reliability.
By combining these capabilities, PHS significantly enhances both the reliability and resilience of modern energy grids, especially as they transition towards greater reliance on renewable energy sources.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/how-does-pumped-hydro-storage-contribute-to-grid-resilience-and-reliability/
