Pumped Storage Hydropower Group

The pumped storage hydropower group collaborates with governments, civil society groups and NGOs, supporting transitions to zero/low carbon electricity grids. As part of this, a key objective is ensuring environmental and social governance issues are prioritised, including during grid-scale planning.

label Research theme

Research themes

traffic Project status

Project status

Current
Contact
contact_support Contact
Contact name
Prof. Jamie Pittock
Contact email

Content navigation

About

The pumped storage hydropower group has a very high level of expertise in modelling for pumped storage hydropower (PSH) as well as in PSH policy and regulation analysis and development. These expertise sets are invaluable in supporting the transition to primarily solar- and wind-based electricity generators, primarily because of the need to store excess electricity generation for times of low generation/high demand. The group has expertise in social and environmental governance as well as in mapping/surveying and providing basic cost estimates for potential PSH sites. This includes having developed the global PSH atlas, which has mapped 616,000 PSH sites around the world. The group has shown itself to be adept at forming strong, constructive relationships with partner organisations and key stakeholders such as government energy experts in South and Southeast Asia and the Pacific Rim.

The group is engaged in or has completed the following activities:

  1. Development of a global green fields PSH atlas
  2. Development of blue fields (using existing water bodies for at least one reservoir) atlases for select countries/areas including Bhutan, Nepal, Sikkim State (India), Australia
  3. Status and potential for APEC economies plus Myanmar, Cambodia, Lao PDR
  4. Pumped storage hydropower in the Himalayas (Sikkim State, India; Nepal; Bhutan) to accelerate the transition to zero/low carbon electricity grids in the region
  5. Water-energy integration options to support the Mekong River Commission’s Proactive Regional Planning (PRP)
  6. Many publications and communications outputs on the above activities as well as on renewable energy and electrical energy storage.

Members

Director

Emeritus Professor Andrew Blakers

Emeritus Professor

Professor
Convener of Affiliates

Researcher

More information

APEC Project

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.

Learn more

Himalayan Project

This ANU-led project was a stepping stone towards Nepal, Bhutan and Sikkim state having sufficient environmentally and socially compatible pumped storage hydropower and other electrical energy storage (EES) to support 100% renewables-based electricity grids.

Learn more

Mekong Project

In this project, an ANU team worked together with the Mekong River Commission (MRC) and its Member Country stakeholders in order to improve technical understanding of and options for renewable energy-PSH development.

Learn more

Why work with us?

Key reasons for working with the Pumped Storage Hydropower Group

Learn more

Useful Links

Select communications outputs from the group

Learn more

Partners & sponsors