As the share of intermittent renewables in the energy mix increases, balancing consumption and generation and keeping the power grid stable is becoming more important, but also more challenging. If you own a pumped storage plant, you are at an advantage. Pumped storage hydropower can help stabilise power systems by absorbing excess power produced by variable renewable energy sources and releasing it when demand is high.

In this episode of Next Generation Hydro, by XFLEX HYDRO, Matteo Bianciotto will discuss two types of upgrades to pumped storage plants: variable speed and hydraulic short circuit. With his guests, Jean-Louis Drommi (EDF), Filipe Duarte (EDP) and Christophe Nicolet (Power Vision Engineering), will explore in more detail the decisions to upgrade Grand’Maison power plant in France and incorporate variable speed into Frades II in Portugal. They will compare the two solutions and the benefits and challenges of implementing each solution.