Study on Hydro Reservoir and Pumped Storage Plants

CONTEXT

The Africa Energy Ministers, during the AU Specialised Technical Committee meeting on Infrastructure (Transport, Energy and Tourism) held in Nouakchott and Cairo in 2018 and 2019 respectively, tasked the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) to lead the development of a Continental Power System (Transmission and Generation) Masterplan (CMP).

To ensure that AUDA-NEPAD kick-started the process towards developing the CMP, the European Union Technical Assistance Facility (EU TAF) agreed to support a Baseline Study covering the generation and transmission systems through its ongoing support to the African Union Commission (AUC), under assignment EU TAF CW 235. This Study assumed that each power pool independently planned its generation and transmission investments, based on its own regional policy objectives.

Furthermore, the Baseline study developed model specifications for the regional generation and transmission systems. Part of the recommendations of the Baseline Study in 2020 was the development and inclusion of 12 specific support studies (SSS) in phase II of the CMP including this SSS on Pumped Hydro Storage (PSH) Power Plants.

OBJECTIVES

The Africa Energy Ministers, during the AU Specialised Technical Committee meeting on Infrastructure (Transport, Energy and Tourism) held in Nouakchott and Cairo in 2018 and 2019 respectively, tasked the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) to lead the development of a Continental Power System (Transmission and Generation) Masterplan (CMP).

To ensure that AUDA-NEPAD kick-started the process towards developing the CMP, the European Union Technical Assistance Facility (EU TAF) agreed to support a Baseline Study covering the generation and transmission systems through its ongoing support to the African Union Commission (AUC), under assignment EU TAF CW 235. This Study assumed that each power pool independently planned its generation and transmission investments, based on its own regional policy objectives.

Furthermore, the Baseline study developed model specifications for the regional generation and transmission systems. Part of the recommendations of the Baseline Study in 2020 was the development and inclusion of 12 specific support studies (SSS) in phase II of the CMP including this SSS on Pumped Hydro Storage (PSH) Power Plants.

DESCRIPTION

The most interesting cases out of the potential projects for hydro reservoir and pumped storage plants across the continent need to be identified and used as input to the modelling of the CMP or for sensitivity studies of the CMP model. More specifically, this assignment will:

• Review ongoing Hydro power and Pumped Storage energy initiatives on the continent,
• Assess the geographical distribution of Hydro power and Pumped Storage potential on the continent (consider both off grid and on grid potential),
• Assess the existing Hydro power and Pumped storage installations installed generation capacity as well as planned investments, by region and available sources of financing, for the medium term (2030) to long term (2040 to 2050),
• Identify scenarios for increasing Hydro power and Pumped Storage penetration in Africa’s storage mix and role in reducing the emission factor of the interconnected Africa electricity supply generation mix,
• Assessment of grid readiness and challenges for grid connectivity while considering the implications in enabling the role of other variable renewables such as wind and solar,
• Evaluate the development of costs of hydro power and pumped storage technologies in a medium term (2030) to long term (2040 and 2050) horizon associated with ongoing technological and efficiency improvements,
• Assess the seasonal and interannual (wet / dry years) variability of hydropower in Africa, as the value of a hydro power plant for the system depends on which season this will be most active, as well as the spatio-seasonal synergies between hydropower and variable renewable energy generation.
• Provide recommendations for overcoming identified barriers for pumped storage into regional masterplans (CMP, AfSEM and AfCFTA).

This assignment will also identify the risks and both technical and non-technological barriers to the hydro power and pumped storage deployment and the development processes, in order to shape an outlook of the potential feasible hydro power production until 2040 and 2050.

SUMMARY OF SERVICES

• Project Management
• Identification of Technical potential and Technologic pathways and opportunities
• Estimation of technical potential for Pumped Hydro Storage Power Plants
• Large-scale projects and infrastructure developments
• Technical and Non-technical bottlenecks and issues