Prospects for pumped-hydro storage in Germany

Steffen, Bjarne

doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2012.02.052

Cited by 173 publications

(75 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…In contrast, we present our simulation results in an aggregated form, for example in the form of load-duration curves, bar charts and histograms. 8 In a survey article, Steffen (2012) reviews the current developments and medium-term prospects of pumped hydro storage in Germany and finds that there is now a surge of new projects after around three decades without major developments. Yet the profitability of many of these projects remains questionable.…”

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confidence: 99%

Residual load, renewable surplus generation and storage requirements in Germany

Schill

2014

Energy Policy

165

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Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen:Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden.Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen.Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. Terms of use: Documents in Abstract:We examine the effects of increasing amounts of fluctuating renewable energy on residual load. We draw on policy-relevant scenarios for Germany and make use of extensive sensitivity analyses. Our simulations show that the expansion of fluctuating renewables shifts the right-hand side of the residual load curve downwards. Whereas yearly renewable surplus energy is low in most scenarios analyzed, peak surplus power can become very high. Decreasing thermal must-run requirements and increasing biomass flexibility substantially reduce surpluses. Using an optimization model, we determine the storage capacities required for taking up renewable surpluses, allowing for varying levels of curtailment. Allowing curtailment of 1% of the yearly feed-in of non-dispatchable renewables would render storage investments largely obsolete until 2032 under the assumption of a flexible power system. Further restrictions of curtailment and lower system flexibility strongly increase storage requirements. Our results suggest that policy makers should not be too concerned about additional storage for taking up renewable surpluses, but should rather focus on measures to avoid surplus generation in the first place, in particular by decreasing the must-run of thermal generators. In a sufficiently flexible power system, minor renewable curtailment does not impede achieving the German government's renewable energy targets.JEL codes: Q42; Q47; Q48

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confidence: 99%

Residual load, renewable surplus generation and storage requirements in Germany

Schill

2014

Energy Policy

165

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“…If the PHS operator chooses a conventional resource-based power to pump the water uphill, then it would be subject to the power market price. The PHS operator could find other attractive opportunities on the market, such as price arbitrage [20] and the provision of reserve power [21]. These markets are relatively deeper than the wind power surplus only, because they include the wholesale market, the secondary and tertiary reserve markets.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of financial mechanisms in support to new pumped hydropower storage projects in Croatia

et al. 2013

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h i g h l i g h t s" The most widespread storage in power systems is the pumped/reversible hydro storage. " The electricity market does not adequately rewarded all services that PHS provide to the electricity system. " The FIT-GO varies in the range of 42-265 €/MW h for an average capacity factor of 20%. a r t i c l e i n f o t r a c tThis paper analyses potential supporting schemes for pumped hydro storage (PHS) facilities in Croatia, which would guarantee recovery of the investment cost, with feed-in tariffs -for instance -which would guarantee payment for discharging wind-originated power as a reward for boosting the integration of renewable energy sources (RESs). The payment level acts as a floor basis for the PHS operator during the decision-making process to contract fixed payments for wind support or to act market-free on other market segments, through price arbitrage and reserve provision. The market share required for the efficient operation of a PHS facility and the levels of feed-in tariff (FIT) are set mathematically. Main findings put the level of FIT for an applied project in Croatia in the range 42-265 €/MW h for an average load factor of 20%, depending on particular local conditions, such as the level of wind power curtailment in the system, the power price for charging the storage and the number of pumps and penstocks, which could lower the capital cost. It is claimed that not all services that PHS provides to the electricity system are adequately rewarded by the electricity market, and thus there is a serious uncertainty as to how investment costs in energy storage would be recovered. Other elements, outside the market, are likely to influence the operation of PHS, such as the regulated level of a desirable rate of curtailment of RES power excess, the adequate level of energy security and the reserve margins which PHS could help to ensure.

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“…Indeed quite recently it was thought that prospects for PHES in Germany were improving due to the large increases in installed renewable energy capacity, having seen little development in the last 20 years. Steffen (2012) [54] described how the prospects of PHES in Germany had improved in 2011 with the announcement of two extensions and 10 new build proposals. However, this article did note that profitability was uncertain.…”

Section: Germanymentioning

confidence: 99%