© VERBUND AG, www.verbund.com

© VERBUND AG, www.verbund.com

Large scale electricity storage 

Focus on Pump Storage Hydro Power Plants 

Dr. Otto Pirker; Luxemburg; 01.03.2012 


Agenda 

How will our electricity system look like in the future? 

What will we need in Europe? 

– more storage, more flexibility or both? 

Operation of Hydro Pump Storage Power 

– in the past – in the future 

Is there still Hydro Pump Storage Potential in Europe? 

Hydro Pump Storage projects - today 

HPP Storage versus other storage technologies 

© VERBUND AG, www.verbund.com VERBUND Hydro Power AG/ESK/Dr. Otto Pirker 

06.12.2011 Seite 3

How will our electricity system look like in the future? 

What will we need in Europe? 

© VERBUND AG, www.verbund.com 

more storage, more flexibility or both? 

06.12.2011 Seite 

4

Storage or Flexibility 

European energy targets – 20/20/20 targets 

Energy Roadmap 2050 

More electricity generation from renewable energy sources till 2020 and beyond 

The Challange: 

To tackle the transformation of the energy system in the most cost-efficient way. 


VERBUND Hydro Power AG/ESK/Dr. Otto Pirker 

06.12.2011 Seite 5

20 percent of renewable energy in share of total energy 

consumption until 2020 

Storage & Flexibility 


06.12.2011 Seite 6

Share of renweable energy of electricity demand (2020) 


06.12.2011 Seite 7

NREAPs 

+34% renewables of electricity production until 2020 

Source: NREAPs 


06.12.2011 Seite 8

Planned installation of windpower until 2020 


06.12.2011 Seite 9

Planned installation of solar power until 2020 


06.12.2011 Seite 10

Electricity generation by wind and sopar (PV) in Germany 

© VERBUND AG, www.verbund.com Gesellschaft/OE/Verfasser 

TT.MM.JJJJ Seite 11

Difficulties of volatile energy production facilities 

very high fluctuations & in the future 

temporarily power surplus 

Extremely large 

power gradients 

Long time periods with no wind (calm) 


06.12.2011 Seite 12

Storage or Flexibiliy 

We need „security of supply“ 

SUPPLY SYSTEM 

Powerplant outages 

grid interruption 

Volatile generation 

quick demand changes 

enough 

reserve 

capacity 

enough 

grid capacity 

quick 

response 

capacity 

storage 

© VERBUND AG, www.verbund.com 13 

Reliable 

electricity supply 

for the customer 

Quality 

Quantity 

affordable Price

ENERGY STORAGE & FLEXIBLE GENERATION 

Very high fluctuation by wind and PV generation 

� enough reserve capacity and storage capacity with quick response 

extremely large and steep power gradients (ramping +/-) 

� flexible generation units with quick response, spinning reserve by rotating masses 

(short - term) surplus production by wind or/and PV 

� energy storage, flexible base load generation 

Long periods with no wind generation 

� enough reserve capacity (from storage); e.g. gas fired powerplants? 

Short-term & long-term storage will be needed 

Hydropower provides both – Flexibility and Storage (short and long term) 


For a low carbon electricity gneration we need both: 


06.12.2011 Seite 14

Operation of Hydro Pump Storage Power 


– in the past – in the future 

06.12.2011 Seite 

15

The old world of base, mid and peak load generation 

© VERBUND AG, www.verbund.com 16

Operation of HPP in a Hydropower dominated System 

Hydropower dominated System 


The new world of demand and supply decoupling 


21. Sept. 2011, PM Page 19 


schematically performance chart 

Power Resource Management

Operation of PS-HPP – in the past and today 

MW 

200 

150 

100 

50 

-50 

-100 

-150 

-200 

Regelpumpenbetrieb Kopswerk II 

0 

29.10.2010 12:00 29.10.2010 14:00 29.10.2010 16:00 29.10.2010 18:00 29.10.2010 20:00 29.10.2010 22:00 30.10.2010 00:00 

Quelle: Illwerke AG 

Ist-Leistung des Kraftwerks Kopswerk II 

Zeit 

Ist-Leistung KOW II M2 

Beispielfolien Bilder 


TT.MM.JJJJ Seite 20

Drivers and background for the construction of storage and 

pump storage plants 

Storage – and Pumpstorage Power Plants are the perfect Powerplants for 

the provision of Reserve- and Control Capacity 

Generation of renewable energie from natural Flow 

High efficiency and high reliability 

Control capability - electric energy is produced when it is needed in the system 

In Pumpstorage HPP – Taking out electric energy from the grid 

• Quelle: Prof. Brauner / TU Wien) 


Controllability of different power plants 

Nuclear Power 

Plants 

Hard coal 

fuelled power 

plants 

Lignite 

fuelled 

power plants 

Combinedcycle 

gas 

power plants 

Pumped 

storage power 

plants 

Start-up time 

cold ~ 40 hours ~ 6 hours ~ 10 hours < 2 hours ~ 0,1 hours 

Start-up time 

warm 

Load gradient 

increase 

nominal 

output 

Load gradient 

decrease 

nominal 

output 

Source: Eurelectric 

Beispielfolien Tabelle 

~ 40 hours ~ 3 hours ~ 6 hours < 1,5 hours ~ 0,1 hours 

~ 5% per minute ~ 2% per minute ~ 2% per minute ~ 4% per minute > 40% per minute 

~ 5% per minute ~ 2% per minute ~ 2% per minute ~ 4% per minute > 40% per minute 


06.12.2011 Seite 22

Flexible Hydro Generation not only by Pump Storage HPP 

Most Hydropower Plants are more or less flexible 

� Storage HPP – primary and secondary frequency control 

� Pondage HPP – run of river HPP with the ability to shift the flow over a few 

hours – primary and secundary fequency control 

� Run of River HPP – primary frequency control 

� Pump Storage HPP – primary and secundary frequency control and storage 



06.12.2011 Seite 23

Pump Storage Potential in Europe 


06.12.2011 Seite 

24

Total Amount of Electricity (logarithmic scale) that can 

currently be stored in one ideal Pumping Cycle. 




23.01.2012 Seite 25

Pumpspeicherpotentiale in Europa (Eurelectric) 

Pumping Capacity [MW] 

9000 

8000 

7000 

6000 

5000 

4000 

3000 

2000 

1000 

0 

Cyprus 

Slovakia 

Slovenia 


Norway 

Estonia 

Hungary 

Bulgaria 

Belgium 

Luxembourg 

Czech Republic 

Lithuania 

Ireland 

Greece 

Poland 

Turkey 

Portugal 

Existing PSPPs Licenced PSPPs Planned PSPPs 

UK 

Switzerland 

Austria 

Germany 

France 

Spain

Pump Storage Projects - Today 


06.12.2011 Seite 

27

Kopswerk II 

Technical Data: 

Capacity: 450 MW 

510 MW 

QA Turbine mode: 80 m³/s 

Max. h: 798 m 

QA Pump mode: 56 m³/s 

3 Units each 

One Pelton-turbine á 150 MW 

One pumpe á 150 MW 

One generator á 200 MVA 

3 transformer á 200 MVA 


Gesellschaft/OE/Verfasser 

TT.MM.JJJJ Seite 28

Projekte – Kopswerk II 

Druckschacht 

Schieberstollen 

Pumpensteigleitung 

Quelle: Alpine BEMO Tunneling 


horizontale 

Pumpenleitung 

30m 


61m 

Turbine 

Druckluftkammer 

Motor 

Wandler 

Pumpe 

Stauziel 

Absenkziel 

Pumpwasserstollen 

Rifabecken 

Balancing Reservoir Rifa 

Verbindungsstollen 

TT.MM.JJJJ Seite 29

Technik - Hydraulischer Kurzschluss; „Controllable 

Pump“ 



TT.MM.JJJJ Seite 30

Limberg II (in operation since: 6.10.2011) 

Pump Storage HPP 

Capacity 

2 x 240 MW 

Reservoires 

Wasserfallboden 

(81 Mio. m 3 ) 

Mooserboden 

( 85 Mio. m 3 ) 

© VERBUND AG, www.verbund.com VHP/E/Kunsch/Pirker 

20.10.2010 31

Project discription 

Pumpturbine 

2 vertikal pumpturbinen units 

Total capacity 

480 MW im pump- u. turbine mode 

Height: 

365 m 

Total costs 

405 Mio. € 

Construction time 

1,5 Jahre planing time 

5,5 Jahre construction time 


20.10.2010 32


20.10.2010 33

Pump Storage Hydro Power Plant Reißeck II / A 

Quelle: VERBUND 


20.10.2010 34



20.10.2010 35

Energiespeicher Riedl 



20.10.2010 36

Energy Storage „Riedl“ 


Projekt Obervermuntwerk II 

Technische Daten: 

• Kavernenkraftwerk mit 2 aufgelösten 

Maschinensätzen 

• Nennleistung der Maschinensätze: 360 MW 

• Turbinenwassermenge: 164 m³/s 

• Tief liegender Druckstollen mit 6,80 m 

Innendurchmesser 

(Fräsdurchmesser 7,70 m) 

• Stollenlänge dieses Druckstollens rd. 3000 m 




TT.MM.JJJJ Seite 38

Projekt Obervermuntwerk II 



Pump Storage Projects in Switzerland 

Linthal 2015 under construction 1.000 MW 

Nante Drance under construction 900 MW 

Veytaux/Leman under construction 240 MW 

Bernina (Lago Bianco) planed 1.000 MW 

Grimsel 3 planed 600 MW 

Verzasca planed 300 MW 

Total 4.040 MW 



06.12.2011 Seite 41

Pump Storage versus other Storage Technologies 


06.12.2011 Seite 

42

3 

Pumped hydro storages are the most efficient storage technology 

Pumped 

hydro 

storage 

● Retrofit in Alpine storages 

● Limited potential for new 

construction 

Competitors in the 

electricity market 

Compressed 

air storage 

(CAES) 

● Requires salt caverns – 

potential in northern Europe 

● Attractive where network 

congestion arises 

Conclusion 


Umwandlungsverlust 

("round trip") 

90% 

80% 

70% 

60% 

50% 

40% 

30% 

20% 

10% 

0% 

Transformation 

losses 

H2-gas 

turbine 

AA-CAES 

Retrofit 

D-CAES 

Zebra- 

NaNiCl 

Methanisation 

New built 

Lead-acid 

battery 

Flow 

battery 

Sodium- 

sulfur 

Cost degression 

until bis 2020 

0 200 400 600 800 

Depends on lifetime, size of 

the storage etc. 

Kapitalkosten [€/kw/a] 

Capital costs [€/kw/a] 

Fuel cell 

Li-ions 

Size = typical plant 

size 

Hydrogen 

● Might make sense on the 

long-term 

● Mobile, i.e. appropriate for 

„power- to-transport“ 

Competitors also in 

the transport 

market 

Batteries 

● Potential depends on 

learning effects 

● May be viable decentrally 

● Mobile 

Source: Frontier Economics 

● Pumped hydro storages best combine investment costs, lifetime and 

efficiency 

● However, the technical potential for PHS within the EU is limited - 

this makes it even more important to use the existing potential

4 

Austrian pumped hydro storages comes with high environmental 

and economic benefits 

Investment (~800 m€) in new pumped hydro storages (1.000 MW) affects … 

Benefits for Europe 

● Environmental benefits 

□ Additional 50GWh of wind power a year (temporary 

curtailment can be avoided) because of better integration 

□ CO 2 abatement costs are reduced by 200m€ 1) as the power 

plant park can be used more efficiently (these savings could 

be used for climate protection measures) 

● Economic benefits 

□ More efficient power plant utilisation and less CO 2 costs lead 

to cost savings for consumers in Europe by ca 550m€ 1) 

(50m€ real per year) 

Benefits for Austria 

● Direct and indirect regional added value 

□ Pumped storages are an efficient investment – the investment 

generates ca 200m€ additional taxes and duties 

□ Investment impulse for other sectors leads to additional tax 

revenues and to about 8.000-16.000 additional jobs 2) in 

Austria 

● Improving Austria’s trade balance 

□ Austria‘s trade balance with neighbouring countries improves 

by 185m€ 1) 

Additional wind power 

for 14.000 households 3) 

Exports 

Imports 

Trade balance 

improves by 185 m€ 1) 

Real costs for consumers 

decreased by 

50 m€ a year 4) 

200m€ additional revenues from 

taxes and duties 5) 

1) Present value in € real costs 2010, 2) Yearly full-time equivalent, 3) We assume an average consumption of 3500kWh a year. 

4) „Cost savings for consumers” refers to the comparison of systems for the expansion of renewables “with” and “without” pumped hydro storages. 

© VERBUND AG, www.verbund.com 5) Impacts on taxes and duties are estimated applying 25% of the investment sum. 

200m€ 1) for 

climate protection 

8.000-16.000 

additional jobs 2)

Cost of Electricity Generation / VGB 2011 



06.12.2011 Seite 45

Cost of Electricity Generation / VGB 2011 



06.12.2011 Seite 46

Longterm investments need stable framework conditions 

Revenues and Costs of PSHPP and Risks 

Revenues 

Electricity sales in turbine mode 

Aditional Revenues for the provision 

of Reserve- and Regulation capcity 

Risks (longterm investment): 

financal risks (financing the large investments) 

technical risks 

Market price risk 

Grid fees,….Concession risk, Grid situation, …. 

Costs 

• Investment costs 

• Electricity market price for pumping (+ 

ca.20-25 % cycle losses!) 

• Operation and Maintenance Costs 

• Grid fees (Turbin and Pump) 

• System Service Fees 


Does a current Market Model for PSHPP exist? 

• Limited economical displayability 

peak – off peak price (grid feeding tarifs) 

• No full cost reflectance 

• Rising investment costs 

• Network-usage-fees 

• Missing market model for 

system services 

• Missing grid extention 

(Infrastructure subsidies alternate storage 

technologies except PSHPP) 


Usage fees for 

pumping energy, 

Usage fees for 

grid feed 

No usage fees 

for pumping 

energy 

Good conditions 

Bad conditions 

Not examined 


No usage fees for 

new PSHPP 

usage fees for 

pumping energy, 

Usage fees for grid 

feed 

No usage fees 

for pumping 

energy 

23.01.2012 Seite 48

Development of base load and peak load prices since 2008 

Currently there is no clear market model 

for investing in Hydro Pump Storage Power 

Plants 

A market model for storage technologies has 

to be developed 

Subsidies only for R&D 

Distortions through subsidies should be 

avoided 


Thank you 

for your attention 


Otto.pirker@verbund.com

© VERBUND AG, www.verbund.com

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?