News
Uzbekistan to Build First Pumped Storage Power Plant in Central Asia
Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan is taking a new step towards energy independence and sustainable development, planning to build the first pumped storage power plant (PSPP) in Central Asia. This project is designed to solve the problem of growing electricity consumption and ensure stable energy supply to the country.A delegation from Uzbekhydroenergo recently returned from China, where they held talks with leading energy companies China Southern Grid and Huaneng. During the meetings, they discussed the prospects for joint implementation of two major investment projects: the construction of the Verkhne-Pskemskaya PSPP on the Pskem River in Bostanlyk and the Khozhakentskaya PSPP in the Tashkent region. Chinese specialists highly praised the modern system of hydropower capacity management in Uzbekistan, visiting the Uzbekhydroenergo situation center.
PSPP is an innovative technology that combines the advantages of hydropower and energy storage. It operates in two modes: during periods of low electricity consumption, excess energy is used to pump water to the upper reservoir, and during peak hours (morning and evening), water is released, rotating turbines and generating electricity. It is planned to use economical two-machine units in the new Uzbek GTPPs.
This project has a number of significant advantages for Uzbekistan:
The GTPP operates in two modes:
- Pump mode: when there is excess energy in the power system, water is pumped from the lower reservoir to the upper one. This is a kind of energy storage in the form of potential energy of water.
- Turbine mode (generation): when the demand for electricity is high (peak loads, for example, in the morning from 7:30 to 10:00 and in the evening from 17:00 to 21:00), water from the upper reservoir is released down, rotating turbines and generating electricity that is supplied to the grid.
Benefits of GTPP for Uzbekistan:
- Stable power supply: GTPP helps smooth out peak loads in the power grid, preventing power outages, especially during cold and hot seasons.
- Solution to growing energy consumption: As the population of Uzbekistan grows, energy consumption increases, and GTPP helps solve this problem.
- Job creation: The construction and operation of GTPP will provide jobs for about 1,500 people.
- Increase in hydropower potential: The project expands the possibilities of using the country's hydropower resources.
- Production of cheap and clean energy: GTPP is a source of relatively cheap and environmentally friendly energy.