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Abstract Pumped hydro energy storage (PHES) is the most widespread and mature utility-scale storage technology currently available and it is likely to remain a competitive solution for modern energy systems based on high penetration of solar PV and wind energy. This study estimates the technical potential of PHES in Iran through automatised GIS-based models based on four topologies. Two topologies focus on the transformation of existing reservoirs while the third topology which is developed based on permanent rivers of the country offers more alternative sites. The fourth topology assesses the potential of seawater PHES plants as a potential solution for regions characterised by freshwater scarcity. The TOPSIS method is applied to the discovered feasible sites to integrate an economic sensitivity into the evaluation process. Results show that Iran has a favourable topography for PHES and the technical potential of the studied topologies reaches up to 5108 GWh from 250 discovered sites, compared to the existing 5.1 GWh PHES capacity, while a maximum distance of 20 km is considered between reservoirs of a PHES plant. Highlights • Comprehensive new methodology for PHES potential assessment developed. • Technical potential of PHES in Iran is 1000 times higher than the existing capacity. • Southwest of Iran provides the highest PHES potential and the most suitable sites. • Substantial potential for covering short-term storage demand in 2050. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study innovatively combines a set of methods to assess the economic potential of pumped hydro energy storage. It first provides a method based on geographic information systems to study the potential of pumped-hydro for different topologies. Second, using cost estimates for each identified site, cost-potential curves are derived. Finally, these curves are used for planning a fully renewable system to assess their impact on investment recommendations. Applications to Chile, Peru, and Bolivia show the usability of the methods. Over 450 pumped-hydro locations are identified, totaling around 20 TWh (or 1600 GW of installed capacity with 12 h of storage). These numbers exceed by 20-fold the projected daily energy demand of the corresponding countries. When taking into account investment costs, most locations are cheaper than current Li-ion batteries, but only some are expected to remain competitive in the future. When using the resulting cost-potential curves to design a future energy system, the planning tool recommends about 1.6 and 5.0 times more pumped-hydro storage compared to using average values and literature values, respectively. These differences underline the significance of the found cost curves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the Paris Climate Agreement, sustainable energy supply will largely be achieved through renewable energies. Each country will have its own unique optimal pathway to transition to a fully sustainable system. This study demonstrates two such pathways for Bolivia that are both technically feasible and cost-competitive to a scenario without proper renewable energy targets, and significantly more cost-efficient than the current system. This transition for Bolivia would be driven by solar PV based electricity and high electrification across all energy sectors. Simulations performed using the LUT Energy System Transition model comprising 108 technology components show that electricity demand in Bolivia would rise from the present 12 TWh to 230 TWh in 2050, and electricity would comprise 82% of primary energy demand. The remaining 18% would then be covered by renewable heat and sustainable biomass resources. Solar PV sees massive increases in capacity from 0.13 GW in 2020 to a maximum of 113 GW in 2050, corresponding to 93% of electricity generation in 2050. In a high transmission scenario, levelized cost of energy reduces 27% during the transition. All scenarios studied see significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, with two scenarios demonstrating a Bolivian energy system with no greenhouse gas emissions in 2050. Further, such scenarios outline a sustainable and import-free supply of energy for Bolivia that will provide additional social benefits for the people of Bolivia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]