The environmental impacts of pumped hydro storage (PHS) and lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries differ significantly due to their distinct technologies and operational requirements.
Environmental Impacts of Pumped Hydro Storage
- Water Ecosystems and Landscape Alteration: PHS involves constructing dams and reservoirs, which can significantly alter natural water flows and river ecosystems, disrupting physical and ecological characteristics and wildlife habitats in the area. This can lead to fragmentation or loss of habitats and changes in water temperature and quality.
- Land Use and Geographical Constraints: PHS requires suitable topographical conditions with reservoirs at different elevations, limiting potential sites and sometimes necessitating major landscape modifications. This can lead to habitat loss and alteration of the natural landscape.
- Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Closed-loop pumped storage hydropower—where reservoirs are isolated from natural water bodies—has been found to have the lowest life cycle greenhouse gas emissions among energy storage technologies, including lithium-ion batteries. The full life cycle assessment accounts for materials, construction, and operation phases.
- Water Use: PHS, particularly closed-loop systems, uses water primarily for energy storage cycling with minimal water loss, although sourcing water can have localized impacts.
- Initial Environmental Disruption: Construction involves substantial environmental intervention, including potential impacts on virgin landscapes and bio-habitats, sometimes causing local opposition.
Environmental Impacts of Lithium-Ion Batteries
- Resource Extraction: Li-ion battery production consumes limited and finite natural resources, such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel, which are associated with environmental degradation, including habitat destruction, water use, and pollution in mining regions.
- Manufacturing Emissions: The manufacturing phase of Li-ion batteries generates significant greenhouse gas emissions and chemical waste, contributing to environmental impacts upstream of battery deployment.
- Smaller Land Footprint: Unlike PHS, Li-ion battery systems can be constructed on brownfield or built environments with minimal landscape disruption and without significant alteration to natural habitats.
- End-of-Life and Recycling: Li-ion batteries pose challenges related to disposal and recycling, which can lead to hazardous waste issues if not managed properly, although recycling technologies are improving.
- Modularity and Flexibility: Li-ion batteries support decentralized energy storage close to demand centers, reducing transmission losses and infrastructure impacts but require resource-intensive inputs.
Summary Comparison
| Impact Category | Pumped Hydro Storage (PHS) | Lithium-ion Batteries |
|---|---|---|
| Ecosystem alteration | Alters water flow, habitats, and landscapes | Minimal land use impact |
| Greenhouse gas emissions | Lowest life cycle GHG emissions | Higher emissions in production phase |
| Resource use | Mainly water and construction materials | Intensive mining of lithium, cobalt, nickel |
| Land use | Requires specific geography and reservoirs | Can be installed flexibly on many sites |
| Water use | Significant in open-loop; low in closed-loop | Minimal |
| Environmental disruption | High during construction | High during resource extraction |
| Waste and recycling | Low complexity | Challenging recycling and hazardous waste |
In conclusion, pumped hydro storage offers very low greenhouse gas emissions during operation and life cycle but can cause notable ecological and landscape impacts due to reservoir construction and water ecosystem alteration. Lithium-ion batteries have a smaller physical footprint and less ecosystem disruption upon installation but involve considerable environmental impacts in the mining and manufacturing stages, including resource depletion and emissions. The choice between the two depends on site suitability, scale needs, and balancing ecosystem impacts with resource use and emissions.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/what-are-the-environmental-impacts-of-pumped-hydro-storage-versus-lithium-ion-batteries/
