The global renaissance of pumped storage

The global transition to clean energy aimed at decarbonizing the world’s energy sector has seen rapid growth in intermittent renewable energy in recent years, combined with the gradual phasing out of an increasing volume of fossil fuel thermal power generation. With variable renewables set to account for an ever-increasing share of the world's electricity supply, the need for energy storage as a vital provider of flexibility for enhanced grid integration of solar and wind power is becoming increasingly evident. Storing energy from these intermittent sources during peak production hours, and drawing on this stored power when production has ebbed, have become essential elements of power system management, helping to ensure that electricity is available when and where it is needed and that it is not wasted through curtailment. In this article, H&D News Editor Martin Burdett presents global examples demonstrating the strong growth and contribution pumped storage is making to a low emissions future.