Pumped Hydroelectric Energy Storage in Brazil: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

Motivated by growing concerns about the environment and the rising price of fossil fuels in recent years, many countries have started to diversify their energy sources, opting for renewables whenever feasible. Brazil, a country with a predominance of hydroelectric generation, has also experienced a greater participation of other renewable sources, such as wind, solar and biomass. However, even though they contribute for a lower dependence on water and fossil fuels for energy generation, their intermittence lead to an increase of operational complexity and may threaten the country's energy security. As an emerging economy with growing energy needs, the challenge now in Brazil is to identify ways to ensure efficient energy supply, compatible with demand and mindful of environmental issues. In this context, this work presents a compilation of the main studies and surveys related to Pumped Hydroelectric Energy Storage (PHES), while seeking to contribute in finding ways to reduce the unpredictability of renewable sources generation. Furthermore, the aim is to increase energy security in times of drought, especially when the inter-regional, seasonal and multimodal complementarity of energy generation in Brazil fails to avoid energy deficits. The methodology used draws upon a bibliographical review of the current PHES scenarios in Brazil and in the world. Advantages and opportunities of this type of energy storage are assessed at the national level, together with a presentation of the challenges faced by the implementation of this model in Brazil. Finally, we discuss the main challenges and present some suggestions for future work on this subject.