The UK Government’s consultation “Facilitating the deployment of large-scale, long-duration electricity storage: a call for evidence” is welcome because my research has found evidence which I’d like to submit in reply to question 4.
Current market: Understanding the storage landscape
4. Please provide details of specific LLES projects that could begin development in the next 5 years. These details should include technology type (including intended use of fuel generated through sector coupling), MW and MWh, the business model or route to market, efficiency and expected development, capital, operational costs and expected lifetime of projects.
Details of specific Large-scale, Long-duration Electricity Storage (LLES) projects that could begin development in the next 5 years.
The technology type
Pumped hydro storage
MW and MWh
For up to 40,000 MW and 500,000 MWh
Glasa Morie Glass and Coire Glas
For further details, see –
“Scaling Coire Glas & Glasa Morie Glass capacities for the grid’s energy storage needs”.
Scaling 4 Pumped Storage Hydro schemes – 30GWh, 33GWh, 45GWh & 170GWh
For from 40,000 MW to 400,000 MW and from 500,000 MWh to 6,800,000 MWh
Strathdearn
For further details, see “World’s biggest-ever pumped-storage hydro-scheme, for Scotland?”.
The business model or route to market
Governed and funded by the UK – presumably by the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (update: Department of Energy Security and Net Zero), the Treasury, the Infrastructure and Projects Authority and the Scottish Government, inviting interested parties to tender for contracts to build and operate these projects.
Efficiency
77% which is the round-trip energy efficiency of a well-designed pumped hydro storage scheme.
Expected development, capital, operational costs
Development and capital costs of upwards of £625,000/MW according to the UK Government’s 2050 Calculator Tool quoting a National Grid source (that’s in 2021 prices adjusted for inflation from the 2011 figure of £500/kW).
Operating costs upwards of £1,475/MW.Year (in 2021 prices adjusted from the 2011 figure of £1.18/kW.Year) according to the same source.
I say “upwards” because the National Grid source was the lowest figure in the calculator’s range of figures.
Expected lifetime
About 100 years. Cruachan has been working since 1965 and is probably good for another 56 years I would think.
Further information
Click to open another page/tab which lists all posts in this blog tagged “Large-scale Long-duration Electricity Storage“ for more on the pumped hydro storage landscape in Great Britain and how to calculate how much of that storage the grid may need.
Scottish Scientist 
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