A multi-disciplinary tool to identify, prioritize, and classify pumped-storage sites

The authors describe a practical and engineering-oriented methodology for identification, selection, and ranking of sites with potential for the implementation of pumped-storage schemes, based on a GIS algorithm. The methodology was developed with the intention of covering a wide range of heads and scheme configurations, and it has proved to be an efficient tool for the identification of very high heads and power capacities for closed-loop schemes. The methodology was developed and applied in the context of an undisclosed case study in Africa, and supported the creation of a portfolio of sites with potential for the development of various types of pumped storage, including freshwater, seawater, and cascade systems. At the national level, the method can be used as a planning tool for public and private entities in any pre-defined region.