Pumped-Storage Hydropower: Flexible Giants for the Energy Transition

Dear Colleagues,

Pumped-storage hydropower (PSH) is the flexible giant among the current energy storage technologies. Established in the early days of electrification, these forever-assests have been balancing all types of power production and adapting successfully to several power market transitions. To achieve decarbonization of the energy system to mitigate climate catastrophes, this long-lasting and multipurpose technology allows us to store both water and energy, as well as providing capacity and inertia for grid balancing. Pumped-storage hydropower plants have been continuously developed and adapted to new challenges and demands over time. This research field covers multiple disciplines and demands for interaction and exchange of knowledge and experience.

This Special Issue aims to highlight recent achievements in the development of pumped-storage hydropower, especially with regards to its flexibility with several potential applications in ongoing energy transition. The scope is to collect and present new design concepts, structural details, and hydraulic machinery insights, but also to highlight the important aspects of energy economics and concepts for upgrading and retrofitting existing hydropower plants and pumped-storage plants. Review papers for special solutions or experiences from long-term operation from existing pumped storage plants are welcome. Papers may include results from physical scale models, numerical investigations, field measurements and operational experience. Contributions focusing on environmental issues and sector coupling for multipurpose application of pumped storage are welcome. Additional requested topics include power grid balancing, digital twins, and predictive maintenance. We look forward to recieving your interesting contributions on the increasingly important topic of pumped storage hydropower.

Dr. Wolfgang Richter
Prof. Dr. Kaspar Vereide
Guest Editors

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