Assessment of the suitability of abandoned open-cast mines for use as pumped storage power plants

Fraunhofer IWU is supporting the project partners in creating a database by identifying potential sites for small pumped hydro storage (SPHS) systems in Germany and collecting the necessary data on the size and location of possible storage reservoirs, existing infrastructure and power grid, as well as energy demand in the region and average energy prices.

The objective of the data collection is to assess the potential for energy storage in SPHS systems installed in former open pit mines. It is based on assumption of the pre-defined location of the existing lower reservoir (pit lake) or in the case where there is no pre-defined lower or upper reservoir but there is available space and suitable topographical conditions for potential reservoirs. It focuses on site selection for SPHS systems in open pit mines, especially related to abandoned ones or to those where the rehabilitation-reclamation process has been planned to begin or is already in progress.

One of the potential locations in Germany