Posts in "Pumped Hydro" tag

Pumped Hydro Videos and PowerPoints

The Water Panel is excited to announce that we have launched our own YouTube channel with the inaugural content being the Pumped Hydro presentations from Andrew Blakers and Nick West.  Please head over, check out the content and subscribe to receive updates.

Nick West Presenting
Nick West Presenting

Also, in conjunction, the presenters have kindly allowed us to post PDFs of their presentation:

The YouTube channel is new and if you have feedback we’d love to hear it.  Please contact Peter Brady with comments and suggestions.

Great Turnout for the Pumped Hydro Talk

Thanks to Professor Andrew Blakers and Nick West for a great talk last night. Also a big thank you to the nearly 100 people that came along to enjoy, what I at least found to be, two really interesting talks.

Audience photo
Audience photo
Ian Rowbottom MC introduces the evening
Ian Rowbottom MC introduces the evening
Professor Blakers Presenting
Professor Blakers Presenting
Nick West Presenting
Nick West Presenting

Pumped Hydro – what is it, why we need it, and the potential barriers

Overview

The expansion of variable energy generation (i.e. solar and wind) will require large scale storage to balance periods of low energy production. The potential to utilise pumped hydroelectric storage (pumped hydro) to provide the necessary load balancing storage is growing within Australia.

Work at ANU has identified 22,000 potential pumped hydro sites in Australia, and has shown that the pathway to 100% renewable electricity will cost less than a fossil fuel alternative.

While pumped hydro is a proven technology for storing large-scale clean energy (accounting for 96% of the worlds energy storage) there are few examples in Australia. The potential barriers to developing pumped hydro projects in Australia, such as engineering features, identification of potential sites and environmental considerations, will be discussed based on two case studies; the Kidston project in Queensland and the “Battery of the Nation” initiative.

Speakers

Professor Andrew Blakers is Professor of Engineering at the Australian National University. His research interests are in the areas of solar photovoltaic energy and sustainable energy policy. He has extensive experience with basic and applied research, and led the team that developed PERC solar cell technology, which currently has approximately one quarter of the worldwide solar market. He is engaged in detailed analysis of energy systems with high (50-100%) penetration by wind and photovoltaics with support from pumped hydro energy storage.

Nick West is a civil engineer at Entura, working primarily in the fields of hydraulics and hydropower. Nick’s skills range from the technical analysis of the layout of hydropower projects to the preparation of contractual project documents and computational hydraulic modelling. Nick was a key team member of the Kidston Pumped Storage Project Technical Feasibility Study and was involved throughout the development and construction of the Neusberg Hydroelectric Project in South Africa. Nick is currently the project manager of the pumped hydro studies under Hydro Tasmania’s “Battery of the Nation” initiative.

Details

DATE & TIME
Tuesday 20 March 2018

Registration/Networking: 5.30pm
Formal start: 6.00pm

VENUE
PSA House
Level 10, 160 Clarence Street
SYDNEY NSW 2000

CPD
Eligible for 2.0 CPD hours

TICKETS
Register at: https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/portal/event/pumped-hydro-issues
Members & Students free
Non-members $30

PRINTABLE FLYER
We have a printable flyer you can download.

Pumped Hydro Energy Storage Conference

Overview

Informa Australia is delighted to announce the forthcoming Pumped Hydro Energy Storage conference. At a pivotal time for the energy market in Australia, the recent announcement that the Federal Government is looking to develop a $2 billion expansion of the Snowy Hydro scheme has brought to the forefront of debate the potential for pumped hydro solutions. In addition to this the Federal Government’s recent announcement of funding a $450,000 grant to Energy Australia to develop a pumped hydro energy storage project in South Australia, has certainly raised the profile of the potential for this technology to be rolled out.

Bringing together key experts in this rapidly changing field, this will be a unique event at which to explore the opportunities for future growth.

Tuesday August 29th, Swissôtel Sydney.

Full details: https://www.informa.com.au/event/pumped-hydro-energy-storage-conference/