Pumped Storage Hydro

Mercia PR, RheEnergise teaming for hydro energy storage deployment in UK

Mercia PR, RheEnergise teaming for hydro energy storage deployment in UK

Mercia Power Response in the UK has signed an agreement with RheEnergise to explore the potential deployment of RheEnergise’s High-Density Hydro® (HD Hydro) long-duration hydro energy storage technology.

Mercia PR and RheEnergise will work together to identify suitable sites for HD Hydro storage projects. The two companies’ initial focus will be the feasibility of getting 100 MW of HD Hydro in commercial operation by 2030 by using Mercia PR’s existing grid connections.

With 40 sites having a combined capacity of 263 MW and a number of sites under development and construction over the next five to 10 years, Mercia PR believes that RheEnergise’s HD Hydro storage technology would be a complementary, low-carbon solution to its operating portfolio. Additionally, Mercia PR’s industry partners bring market expertise in energy trading and forecasting, helping RheEnergise to optimize grid-connected energy storage projects, according to a release.

Rather than using water, the HD Hydro storage system uses an environmentally benign fluid that is 2.5 times denser than water, which can provide 2.5 times the power when compared to a conventional low-density hydro-power system, the company said. This means that HD Hydro can be deployed beneath the surface of hills rather than mountains, opening up massive opportunities in the UK and around the world. Projects will range from 5 MW to 100 MW and can work with vertical elevations as low as 100 m.

“It is very exciting to explore how we can engage with RheEnergise’s HD Hydro technology, applying our expertise in finding the right locations, developing sites, getting grid connections and operating within the Capacity Market,” said Graham White, chief executive officer at Mercia PR. “We see enormous potential for HD Hydro deployment as a future low-carbon replacement to our existing gas-powered assets.”

Stephen Crosher, chief executive of RheEnergise, said: “Mercia PR’s experience in flexible power response and its deep knowledge of the UK energy system will be hugely beneficial to the RheEnergise team. Our HD Hydro technology can provide medium and long duration energy storage, which is becoming increasingly important as the UK moves towards Net Zero and with a UK energy system that is increasingly reliant on intermittent renewables.”

RheEnergise’s analysis of potential project opportunities indicates there are about 6,500 site opportunities in the UK, about 115,000 in Europe, about 345,000 in North America and about 500,000 in Africa and the Middle East.