This is an interim project knowledge sharing report on the New England PHES benefits study.
Report extract
Pumped Hydro Energy Storage has an integral role to play in firming the energy market as it moves away from coal generation, towards varied renewable energy, such as solar and wind.
The Draft 2022 Integrated Systems Plan (ISP) notes, “as sun, wind and water become NEM’s (National Electricity Market’s) primary energy resources, supported by gas, it will become increasingly complex to preserve the resilience of the system against a broad array of extreme weather and climate impacts” (AEMO, 2021, p.22).
On the unprecedented challenge ahead, the Plan emphasises the need for coordinated investment that addresses the need to “treble the firming capacity that can respond to dispatch signal, including utility-scale batteries, hydro storage, gas generation, and smart behind-the-meter batteries or ‘virtual power plants’” (AEMO, 2022, p.8). This includes delivering medium storage of 4 to 12 hours duration, including 2GW of storage (in addition to Snowy 2.0) needed by the end of the decade to meet the NSW Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap (DPIE, 2020, p.29).
