This APEC/AWP funded project examined Pumped Storage Hydropower (PSH) usage and potential in target economies. The project aimed to enable greater use of renewable energy, and to enhance the reliability of electricity supply among the target countries.

This project built on APEC’s longstanding commitment to increase the use of renewable energy among its member economies (e.g. APEC’s 2014 commitment to double the share of renewable energy based electricity generation by 2030).

There were four project components that assisted with achieving the overall project goals, as follows:

(i) The potential for use of PSH in APEC plus three additional Mekong economies was examined and discussed with key stakeholders,

(ii) Project team members and key stakeholders began the process of identifying opportunities for developing PSH, including opportunities to modify existing facilities to incorporate PSH,

(iii) Existing social and environmental sustainability protocols that could be applied to PSH development were discussed and analysed, and

(iv) Possibilities for further PSH development in the Asia Pacific region were examined.

The project was built around a central workshop, which drew on a background paper prepared as part of the project deliverables. The background paper focused on the 21 APEC plus 3 additional Mekong economies, and covered (i) renewable energy targets and trends, (ii) existing and planned electrical energy storage, including PHES, and (iii) dispatchable power supply as well as cross-border transmission links.

The project outputs below provide additional details:

Policy Brief: Pumped Storage Hydropower for the Mekong Region

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Journal Article: Pumped Storage Hydropower for Sustainable and Low-Carbon Electricity Grids in Pacific Rim Economies

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APEC project technical report, workshop report and policy brief: The Use of Pumped Storage Hydropower to Enable Greater Renewable Energy Use and Reliable Electricity Supply