Pumped-Water Storage Battery for Renewable Energy Systems?

I visited my mom for 4 days, and on my way home stopped to see the Marmora quarry site.

This site of an old iron mine left a very deep hole in the ground which has filled up with rainwater over the years.

The slag heap of processed rock tailings forms a big hill or plateau above the big hole, and is basically a huge pile of rubble.

About a decade ago, there was a proposal by the Ontario government to use this site as a huge battery for renewable energy.

The idea is that when the wind turbines and solar power stations were generating peak electricity well in excess of demand the extra energy produced could power pumps to pump up the water from the very deep hole in the ground to a reservoir created at the top of the slag heap.

When there was peak demand for electricity far in excess of the supply (maybe at times with no wind and no sun) then the water would run from the reservoir at the top of the slag heap down into the bottom of the deep hole, powering turbines and electrical generators.

Electrical efficiency of such systems can be extremely high, as well as capacity to generate large amounts of electrical power.

The time was not right a decade or so ago for this project to go forward, but perhaps soon?

Unquestionably, the highlight of my visit to the Marmora Iron Mine site was chatting with a gentleman, his daughter, and his daughters boyfriend. It turned out that he was a local who had worked in the mine in summers back in the day to pay for his university. He also knew all about history of the project ideas to use this site for pumped water energy storage!!! Hopefully, he watches this video!!!

Links:

Marmora Ontario

Marmora Iron Mine

Peer-reviewed paper: A review of pumped hydro energy storage

Pumped Storage Hydropower

Pumped Storage Hydroelectricity

[PaulHBeckwith]

I visited my mom for 4 days, and on my way home stopped to see the Marmora quarry site.

This site of an old iron mine left a very deep hole in the ground which has filled up with rainwater over the years.

The slag heap of processed rock tailings forms a big hill or plateau above the big hole, and is basically a huge pile of rubble.

About a decade ago, there was a proposal by the Ontario government to use this site as a huge battery for renewable energy.

The idea is that when the wind turbines and solar power stations were generating peak electricity well in excess of demand the extra energy produced could power pumps to pump up the water from the very deep hole in the ground to a reservoir created at the top of the slag heap.

When there was peak demand for electricity far in excess of the supply (maybe at times with no wind and no sun) then the water would run from the reservoir at the top of the slag heap down into the bottom of the deep hole, powering turbines and electrical generators.

Electrical efficiency of such systems can be extremely high, as well as capacity to generate large amounts of electrical power.

The time was not right a decade or so ago for this project to go forward, but perhaps soon?

Unquestionably, the highlight of my visit to the Marmora Iron Mine site was chatting with a gentleman, his daughter, and his daughters boyfriend. It turned out that he was a local who had worked in the mine in summers back in the day to pay for his university. He also knew all about history of the project ideas to use this site for pumped water energy storage!!! Hopefully, he watches this video!!!


Links:

Marmora Ontario

Marmora Iron Mine


Peer-reviewed paper: A review of pumped hydro energy storage

Pumped Storage Hydropower

Pumped Storage Hydroelectricity

[toyotacamry]

The Ludington, MI Pumped storage facility played a major role in preventing the 2003 Blackout from being worse than it could have been. It’s an incredible resource as a black start facility and if you pump the water with excess renewable energy it makes a lot of sense

[-LightningRod-]

Electrical "storage", is the Key to 21stCentury technologies. It is a NEW component that if used properly will extend the lifespan of the existing grid all across Canada, that in itself is worth a Trillion Dollars by extending the lifespan of the sunk investment cost to, ..infinity.
happy to reply to any comments on this topic.

[chrisgriffiths]

Location is a Factor with these Old Mine Pumped Hydro Proposals.
Electrical Grid, Local Community, Services are All Factors.

Thanks Paul.

[Bigmoondig]

Sites for this are rare. Old mines often pollute their water with metals. Testing is needed.

[plastikblomsterskalikkevandes]

I heard this in Austria. The dam "Stausee Mooserboden", the water level has dropped sharply. So that's why they pump water into the lake, with cheap electricity at night, and then produce expensive electricity during in the day with the dam.

[scottmears]

We will create new communities using the truth as a keel and people as power to navigate.
Thanks Paul, it’s time to start.

[joedavis]

Hi Paul.
We have been doing this in Ireland for 50 years
Through (pronounced turlok) hill..truncated mountain, manmade lake at the top..it WORKS WELL.

[AKrn]

Pumped storage works, but it doesn't address exponential growth at the expense of the future. All solutions will fail unless this demand for unchecked growth continues and it will continue until we crash and burn. I don't think we have much time. Enjoy what you can.

[ericmaclaurin]

Can't wait to see pumped storage used as part of a project to move water over a hill/mountain.

In theory it could make getting water over mountains and into drier regions free.

[jimthain]

I've seen Mr. Breeze's videos on YouTube, he's a pretty smart cookie.
I think that's a very good book for anyone interested in the politics of climate.

[alandpost]

Pumped hydro is much less efficient than batteries, but cheaper and longer lasting

[MyKharli]

the problem is stopping fossil fuel use regardless of any other solutions

[FrankWhite]

I mean its 40°C in south america again, lets see how long the amazon is gonna last in this new world 😅

[klondike]

Solar and wind depend entirely on fossil fuels. Ignoring that fact won't make it go away.

[ba_charles]

No. Saltwater is too corrosive to be practical. Scrap iron is more plentiful, accessible, and efficient than freshwater.

Useful gravity batteries will probably be based on pulley and rail systems, like weight machines.