The “underground pumped storage hydroelectric plant” project
Storage capacity plays an important role in the changeover to renewable energies. So why not use mines for storage of electricity? The “underground pumped storage hydroelectric plant” project aims to make use of the galleries of the Prosper-Haniel hard coal mine in Bottrop and the Auguste Victoria mine in Marl, which are still active, for precisely this purpose. Mining service provider DMT, a subsidiary of TÜV NORD GROUP, is one of the project partners, alongside Duisburg-Essen and Bochum Universities and RAG. The North Rhine-Westphalia Climate Protection Ministry is also providing support.
Initial investigations
Initial investigations showed that the mine shaft system in the Ruhr region can in principle be used for environmentally-friendly energy storage. This gave the green flag for a feasibility study, which should be completed by September 2014, providing the basis for further investigations within a follow-on project.