Hydropower plants often have an upper and a lower reservoir. The water is stored in an upper reservoir and sent via a turbine to the lower reservoir or water stream when electricity is needed. This can be when the sun is not shining or the wind is not blowing. With a power system that is increasingly reliant on weather-dependent electricity production, the need for this type of backup power will be increasingly important. In a pumped-storage hydropower plant, the water can also be pumped back to the upper reservoir when there is excess energy.

With UPHS, the idea creates value from a residual product in the industry. Through this, our solution arouses interest in both the energy, mining, and sustainability worlds.

 Pumped storage hydropower (PSH) is a proven technology for energy storage. Today, more than 94% of the world’s total installed storage capacity is in the form of PSH. However, today it is challenging to build new pumped hydropower. This is because the construction of new dams can lead to a major impact on local ecosystems and watercourses.

Conventional PSH collects water in a lake or reservoir at a higher altitude. From there, the water is led down through power a turbine that generates electricity and released into a lower reservoir. Pumped Hydro Storage has developed a technology to enable reservoirs to be constructed underground in mines (UPHS).

Disused mines are often considered an environmental burden and a scar on the landscape from industrialization. Through our innovative solution, they can instead become assets for large-scale energy storage. The mines also have the advantage that they often already have access power and road infrastructure. This is normally a high cost for energy projects and overturns the finance prospects.