Nepal Himalaya offers considerable potential for pumped storage hydropower

Baniya, Rupesh; Talchabhadel, Rocky; Panthi, Jeeban; Ghimire, Ganesh R.; Sharma, Sanjib; Khadka, Prithvi Dhwoj; Shin, Sanghoon; Pokhrel, Yadu; Bhattarai, Utsav; Prajapati, Rajaram; Thapa, Bhesh Raj; Maskey, Ramesh Kumar

doi:10.1016/j.seta.2023.103423

Nepal Himalaya offers considerable potential for pumped storage hydropower

Journal Article · Mon Sep 04 00:00:00 EDT 2023 · Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seta.2023.103423· OSTI ID:2007701

Baniya, Rupesh ^[1]; ^[2]; Panthi, Jeeban ^[3]; ^[4]; ^[5]; Khadka, Prithvi Dhwoj ^[6]; Shin, Sanghoon ^[7]; ^[8]; Bhattarai, Utsav ^[9]; Prajapati, Rajaram ^[10]; Thapa, Bhesh Raj ^[11]; Maskey, Ramesh Kumar ^[12]

Tribhuvan Univ., Kirtipur (Nepal)
Jackson State Univ., Jackson, MS (United States)
Kansas State Univ., Manhattan, KS (United States)
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Howard Univ., Washington, DC (United States)
Technische Universität Dresden (Germany)
Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States)
Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, MI (United States)
Univ. of Southern Queensland, Brisbane, QLD (Australia)
Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA (United States)
Pokhara Univ., Lalitpur (Nepal)
Kathmandu Univ., Kavre (Nepal)

There is a pressing need for a transition from fossil fuel to renewable energy to meet the increasing energy demands and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Himalayan region, with its unique topography and abundant water resources, offers substantial renewable energy potential, particularly through hydropower generation. However, the current exploitation rate is low owing to the predominance of run-of-river hydropower systems to support the power system. The utility-scale storage facility is crucial in the load scenario of an integrated power system to manage diurnal variation, peak demand, and penetration of intermittent energy sources. In this study, we assess the potential of pumped storage hydropower across Nepal, a central Himalayan country, under multiple configurations by pairing lakes, rivers, and available flat terrains. We then identify technically feasible pairs from those of potential locations. Infrastructural, environmental, operational, and other technical constraints govern the choice of feasible locations. Here, we show that 42% of the theoretical potential of 3000 GWh is technically feasible. We find the flat land-to-river configuration more promising than other configurations. Our findings provide insight into the potential of pumped storage hydropower and are of practical importance in planning sustainable power systems in the Himalayas and beyond.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-00OR22725

OSTI ID:: 2007701

Journal Information:: Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments, Journal Name: Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments Vol. 60; ISSN 2213-1388

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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