Underground Pumped
Hydroelectric
Energy Storage
Get Competitive Reliable Green Power with Underground Pumped Hydroelectric Energy Storage.
South Africa has world class solar and wind resources for renewable energy. What is less well known is that South Africa has some of the best sites for pumped energy storage. These sites are depleted South African gold mines. Green power from South African world class renewables with pumped energy storage from depleted gold mines allows reliable power cheaper than power from foreign fossil fuels such as gas. South Africa has the potential to have the cheapest reliable power globally.
Experience
KARST works with project managers, professional engineers and geologists with a track record in the energy and mining industry of realising projects and repurposing existing facilities.
Vision
By 2050 KARST envisions South Africa powered by 100% solar, wind and water with approximately 90GW of pumped energy storage. KARST anticipates that South Africa will be the centre for block chain mining and datacentres due to our cheap, reliable, green power.
Future Focus
KARST’s aim is to develop:
- Hybrid power plants – power plants provided with renewable energy supported by energy storage such that
end-use customers receive power similar to a conventional thermal power plant. - Pumped energy storage plants in sections of depleted mines
- Depleted mines that pump clean karst aquifer water to
surface for sale.
Pumped Storage Hydropower
Why KARST?
KARST provides competitive project definition utilising our knowledge of, and relationships with, mining companies, technology providers, project executors and power producers.
Project Promoter and Developer
KARST is a project development and project promotion company for hybrid power plants supported by renewable underground pumped hydroelectric energy storage (RUPHES). KARST provides professional project definition services and project promotional services.
Key Features
- Utilising depleted gold mines as Underground Pumped Energy Storage Facilities allows storage at roughly 50% of conventional pumped energy storage overnight construction costs (±USD 1000/kW dependent on the site).
- Pumped storage facilities have high round-trip storage efficiencies (more than 80%) and are the dominant form of energy storage internationally having 97% of the market share (IRENA).
- The long-life time (50 years plus) of pumped energy storage enables cost competitiveness with Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), even with the anticipated reduction in battery prices.
- Repurposing of depleted mines allows short construction times (2-years) and decreased environmental and licensing applications.
- A pumped energy storage system effectively allows a micro-grid enabling independent operation.
The future of
Hydroelectric
Energy Storage
Utilising depleted gold mines as underground pumped hydroelectric energy storage provides cost-competitive reliable pumped energy storage enabling hybrid power plants, facilitating South Africa’s just transition to reliable renewable power.