Is pumped storage hydropower the world's water battery?

Below are some of the paper's key messages and findings. Pumped storage hydropower (PSH), 'the world’s water battery’, accounts for over 94% of installed global energy storage capacity, and retains several advantages such as lifetime cost, levels of sustainability and scale.

Is pumped hydro storage a viable energy storage technology?

Against this backdrop, the demand for energy storage technologies has surged. Among available technologies, pumped hydro storage (PHS) remains the most mature, efficient, and widely used (Nienhuis et al., 2023; Liu et al., 2024).

How does pumped storage hydropower work?

The system also requires power as it pumps water back into the upper reservoir (recharge). PSH acts similarly to a giant battery, because it can store power and then release it when needed. The Department of Energy's "Pumped Storage Hydropower" video explains how pumped storage works.

Will pumped storage increase global hydropower capacity?

If one-tenth of the global conventional hydropower capacity 5 is technically eligible for similar-scale pumped storage renovations, this could result in an increase of over 120 GW in storage capacity — 1.2 times greater than the total capacity of all other energy storage technologies worldwide.

How much energy is stored in pumped storage reservoirs?

A bottom up analysis of energy stored in the world’s pumped storage reservoirs using IHA’s stations database estimates total storage to be up to 9,000 GWh. PSH operations and technology are adapting to the changing power system requirements incurred by variable renewable energy (VRE) sources.

What is pumped storage hydropower (PSH)?

NREL experts are developing tools and partnering with industry to unlock the full potential of pumped storage hydropower (PSH)—a form of hydropower used to generate electricity, store energy, and provide grid services. Image from IKM 3D.