SETIS expert workshop on the assessment of the potential of pumped hydropower storage - technical report

Energy storage is one of three main options to enable a higher share of variable renewable electricity, such as wind and solar, in the energy system the other two being improved interconnections and more flexible conventional power generation plants. Pumped hydropower storage (PHS) is currently the only storage technology able to provide the large storage needed for accommodating renewable electricity under the 2020 EU energy targets. Moreover, the transformation of an existing water reservoir into a PHS facility has a much smaller environmental and social impact compared with most new hydropower plants in Europe.