Pumped storage hydropower plants - Australia's new 'green' technology

Pumped storage hydropower plants (or pumped storage hydropower plants) could help Australia become a completely 'green' energy nation, according to researchers from the Australian National University (ANU).

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Pumped storage hydropower plants do not produce additional electricity but only contribute to regulating the amount of electricity according to changes in electricity demand (load) during the day between peak (daytime and evening) and low (nighttime).

Currently, renewable energy accounts for only about 15% of Australia's total electricity, while nearly 70% of electricity is produced from coal-fired power plants.

Pumped storage hydroelectric plants will have very little impact on the environment and require "little water".

However, according to Professor Andrew Blakers of ANU, pumped storage hydropower plants - along with existing wind and solar power - could turn Australia into a "completely green nation".

Professor Blakers said most gas and coal-fired power stations would close within the next 15 years and pumped storage technology offered cheaper water costs than coal and gas power stations.

Meanwhile, Professor Matthew Stocks said pumped storage hydropower plants would have very little impact on the environment and require “less water” than energy generated from fossil fuels.

Currently, Australia has only three pumped storage hydropower plants. The advantage of this plant model is that it can regulate the amount of electricity according to market demand, thereby creating more flexibility to supply the national electricity market.

Accordingly, ANU believes there will be hundreds of sites where this hydro technology could be exploited, with hills and mountains stretching from North Queensland down to South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania.

According to Khoahoc.tv