The Eagle Mountain Pumped Storage project repurposes two large abandoned mine pits from the inactive Eagle Mountain iron ore mine in Riverside County, California, to serve as reservoirs for a pumped hydroelectric energy storage system. Specifically:
- The existing East Pit of the mine is used as the Lower Reservoir because it has sufficient capacity and requires no dam construction.
- The existing Central Pit is converted into the Upper Reservoir, with two dams constructed along its perimeter to increase and contain the needed water storage volume.
The system works by pumping water from the lower pit reservoir to the upper pit reservoir during periods of low electricity demand (off-peak). When higher electricity demand occurs, water is released from the upper reservoir back down to the lower reservoir through an underground powerhouse equipped with four reversible turbines. This flow generates up to 1,300 megawatts of peak power, effectively storing energy and providing it on demand.
The elevation difference between the two reservoirs is approximately 1,410 feet, enabling efficient energy generation. The project uses groundwater to fill and replenish the reservoirs since it operates as a closed-loop system, minimizing environmental impacts related to surface water usage.
In summary, the project capitalizes on these two large, existing mine pits by transforming them into an energy storage infrastructure, thus reusing disturbed land and avoiding the need to create new large reservoirs.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/how-does-the-eagle-mountain-pumped-storage-project-utilize-abandoned-mine-pits/
