ISES Column in pv magazine - Unlimited energy storage in Europe

Immediate Past ISES Board Directors and Leads of the ISES PV Strategy Committee Prof. Andrew Blakers (ANU) and Prof. Ricardo Rüther (UFSC) are pleased to share an ISES column in pv magazine for March 2025

In this column, titled Unlimited energy storage in Europe, the authors discuss the potential of pumped-hydro energy storage (PHES) as a solution for Europe's long-duration energy storage needs. It challenges common misconceptions about PHES, such as its environmental impact and high costs, highlighting that Europe has an abundance of suitable PHES sites. These sites could provide more than enough storage capacity for a fully decarbonized Europe. With over 6,000 premium sites offering 1,100 terawatt-hours of storage, PHES could work alongside batteries to ensure energy reliability, especially in winter when solar and wind energy are less available.

Find the full column here.

A pumped-hydro power station in Spain  Image: Sirbatch, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
A pumped-hydro power station in Spain
Image: Sirbatch, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0