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In order to maintain greater control over the country's water resources and reduce the vulnerability of the Brazilian electricity sector, this paper presents a review of the Seasonal-Pumped-Storage (SPS) potential in Brazil, its benefits and the different ways in which SPS can be integrated with hydroelectric dams in cascade downstream. In addition to increasing the Brazilian energy storage potential, SPS has the potential to: regulate river flows allowing the control of hydropower generation; reduce the spillage and increase power generation in the hydroelectric dams in cascade; turn the construction of new dams more viable where there is no suitable geology for the construction of conventional storage reservoirs; control floods when the geology does not permit the construction of storage reservoirs; decrease the evaporation of accumulation reservoirs; store the electricity generated from intermittent renewable sources; store energy for peak generation; reduce transmission bottlenecks; decrease the cost of electricity transmission from hydroelectric plants in the Amazon; decentralize the energy storage capacity in Brazil to increase energy security and to reduce the risk of electricity rationing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the lack of energy storage in the new hydropower plants in the Amazon region, Brazil will require thermoelectric power plants to generate electricity during the dry period (May–October). Biomass based electricity generation, especially eucalyptus trees, can be used to replace the expensive liquefied natural gas infrastructure required to generate electricity during the dry seasons and emergency generation during dry years in Brazil. This article presents a new electricity generation scheme called “Energy Crop Storage”. In this scheme, biomass is grown and stored in eucalyptus plantations in order to match the supply of energy to its demand. For example, during wet years in Brazil, when biomass plants operate at 50% capacity, the eucalyptus trees are allowed to continue growing. During dry years, the biomass stored is used more intensively as biomass generation raises to 90% of its capacity. It was concluded that natural gas is a high risk investment in Brazil because, if there are several consecutive wet years, the expensive infrastructure dedicated to natural gas based electricity generation will remain on standby. Biomass plantations, on the other hand, are a more reliable investment as the biomass is stored when the biomass demand is lower. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy sector is undergoing substantial transition with the integration of variable renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar energy. These sources come with hourly, daily, seasonal and yearly variations; raising the need for short and long-term energy storage technologies to guarantee the smooth and secure supply of electricity. This paper critically reviews the existing types of pumped-hydro storage plants, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of each configuration. We propose some innovative arrangements for pumped-hydro storage, which increases the possibility to find suitable locations for building large-scale reservoirs for long-term energy and water storage. Some of the proposed arrangements are compared in a case study for the upper Zambezi water basin, which has considerable water storage limitations due to its flat topography and arid climate. Results demonstrate that the proposed combined short and long-term cycles pumped-storage arrangement could be a viable solution for energy storage and reduce the cost for water storage to near zero. • Review of existing pumped-storage types. • Pumped-hydro storage an effective alternative for water, energy and land nexus issues. • Proposed arrangement for combining short- and long-term energy and water needs. • Proposed arrangement for combining hydropower and pumped-hydro storage. • Comparison of proposed pumped-hydro storage projects in the Zambesi river basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global concern to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the use of renewable sources has led Brazil to stand out as a promising nation in this context, with a large portion of its energy capacity coming from renewable sources. However, renewable sources have the disadvantage of intermittency and seasonality, which has prompted the search for solutions to these challenges. This study assesses the feasibility of integrating hydro and solar power with a Hydrogen-based Electrical Energy Storage System (H 2 EESS) at the Serra da Mesa hydroelectric Brazilian power plant. Hydrogen would be produced through water electrolysis, taking advantage of the available excess renewable energy, and subsequently converted back into electricity through fuel cells. The integration of hydro and solar power with H 2 EESS resulted in an increase of 11.10 % in the energy produced compared to conventional hydroelectric generation, with 36.06 % of this increase coming from H 2 EESS. Additionally, there was a 9.71 % increase in the utilization of substation capacity. These results highlight the feasibility and benefits of integrating hydro and solar power with H 2 EESS. This approach allows for maximizing renewable energy generation, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and better utilizing available resources without the need for significant infrastructure investments. • Feasibility of integrating hydro and solar power with a hydrogen-based electrical energy storage system. • Case Study with real data from Serra da Mesa hydroelectric brazilian power plant. • The integration of hydro and solar power with Hydrogen resulted in an increase of 11.10 % in the energy produced compared to conventional hydroelectric generation. • There was a 9.71 % increase in the utilization of substation capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]