Pumped Storage Hydropower Membrane

Overview/Objective

Conventional pumped storage hydropower (PSH) technologies are not always feasible options, especially at a small scale, because of their high costs, extended licensing periods, and other factors. Closed-loop PSH (a configuration with two reservoirs isolated from a free-flowing water source) is particularly challenging because it requires construction of a second reservoir near the river or lake and typically involves costly major civil works. In addition to the possible environmental impact of such work (blasting, for example), construction of a second reservoir and the complicated licensing that goes with it lead to high costs and lengthy timelines in closed-loop PSH deployment. The goal of this project is to reduce such barriers through development of a novel technology.