30,295 Australian Micro-Pumped Hydro sites?

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Rural Australia is pockmarked with small dams. Researchers say they could also be 'batteries'


"According to their mapping, Australia has the potential to not only meet its entire energy storage needs with pumped hydro, but to exceed it 300 times over."

Read: https://www.sciencedirect.com/scienc...6261923010796?

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Supporting evidence:

ANU Bluefield PHES Atlas: A study by the Australian National University (ANU) identified over 3,000 potential pumped hydro sites across Australia, with a combined storage capacity of around 163,000 GWh.

Meeting 100% renewable energy needs: According to estimates, transitioning to a 100% renewable electricity system in Australia would require around 450 GWh of pumped hydro storage.

Comparison: The potential storage capacity identified in the ANU study (163,000 GWh) is nearly 360 times the estimated storage needed for 100% renewables.

Caveats to consider:

Not all sites are commercially viable: Not all the identified sites will be feasible for development due to environmental, social, and economic factors.

Infrastructure development costs: Building and connecting these potential sites to the grid will require significant investment.

Transmission limitations: Some areas with high-potential PHES sites may lack adequate transmission infrastructure to fully utilize the stored energy.

Overall, while exceeding Australia's energy storage needs 300 times might be an optimistic estimate, the potential for pumped hydro in Australia is certainly significant. It can play a crucial role in supporting the country's transition to a clean energy future, particularly when combined with other renewable energy sources like solar and wind.

Bard 13/01/2024

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References
100% renewable electricity in Australia, Andrew Blakers, Bin Lu and Matthew Stocks, Australian National University, February 2017 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science...60544217309568

90-100% renewable electricity for the South West Interconnected System of Western Australia, Bin Lu, Andrew Blakers and Matthew Stocks, Australian National University, March 2017 https://www.sciencedirect.com/scienc...60544217300774

UN geo regions: https://unstats.un.org/unsd/methodology/m49/
Algorithms: https://www.sciencedirect.com/scienc...06261918305270
NationalMap: https://nationalmap.gov.au/renewables/

Source Data
Improved cost model
SRTM 1 Arc-Second Global Digital Elevation Models https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/
World Database Protected Areas: https://www.protectedplanet.net/

Urban extent: HBASE http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/dat.../data-download
100% renewable electricity in Australia, Andrew Blakers, Bin Lu and Matthew Stocks, Australian National University, February 2017

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science...60544217309568
PHES =Pumped hydro energy storage
"PHES constitutes 97% of electricity storage worldwide (159 GW [3]) because it is much cheaper and has much greater technological maturity than alternative sources, including batteries."