Pumped hydroelectric energy storage (PHES), also known as pumped-storage hydroelectricity (PSH), uses water to store energy but does not consume raw materials in the traditional sense like fossil fuels or critical metals required in batteries. Instead, it leverages gravitational potential energy by circulating water between two reservoirs at different elevations. This process makes PHES somewhat independent from raw materials in several key ways:
- Water Circulation: Water is used and reused within the system, eliminating the need for continuous input of raw materials. Water is pumped from a lower reservoir to an upper reservoir when energy is abundant and then released back down when electricity is needed, generating power by driving turbines.
- Minimal Material Use: While PHES requires construction materials like steel and concrete for the infrastructure, the energy storage itself is based on water movement. This significantly reduces the reliance on consumable raw materials compared to technologies like lithium-ion batteries, which require large amounts of metals like lithium and cobalt.
- Renewable Energy Integration: PHES allows for the efficient storage of excess energy generated from renewable sources like solar and wind, which do not depend on raw materials for energy production themselves. By storing this intermittent energy, PHES supports a system less reliant on non-renewable raw materials for electricity generation.
However, while PHES is efficient in terms of water usage, it is not entirely independent of raw materials. The construction and maintenance of the facilities still require traditional construction materials. Nonetheless, the core energy storage mechanism does not consume raw materials in the way that fossil fuels or some other energy storage technologies do.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/how-does-the-use-of-water-in-pumped-hydroelectric-energy-storage-make-it-independent-from-raw-materials/
