Pumped Hydro Storage Technology as Energy Storage and Grid Management Element for Renewable Energy Integration in Karnataka

Abstract

The increased penetration of wind and solar into existing grid poses more challenges, which brings the need for energy storage schemes and grid management assets to ensure power system stability. For which Pumped storage plants can be used as both energy storage and grid management element instead of energy generation source alone. Before this pumped storage power generation was not of in much interest to many states although its contribution towards grid frequency stabilization and load control was well proven. A recent trend of power consumption pattern in Karnataka predicts the need for ‘Pumped Storage Technology’. With availability of about 5GW of wind and solar power, Karnataka almost meets its 60% needs. So, taking into consideration the growth of renewable energy in the state, Government of Karnataka intends to set up pumped storage plants for grid management and energy storage. The idea of pump storage is to use the excess energy and balance the grid. A pre-feasibility study carried out on the construction of 2000 MW pumped storage plant in Sharavathi valley project, Shivamogga district has been detailed in this paper. This will be a first-of-its-kind project in Karnataka and would perhaps be one of the biggest Pumped storage Schemes in the range of 2000 MW in India. The study shows that the proposed project is techno economically viable and is planned as an additional structure utilizing the existing Sharavathi hydro project consisting of Liganamakhi, Talakalale and Gerusoppa Dam.