rPlus Energies has submitted a Final License Application for a 900MW/9GWh pumped hydro energy storage (PHES) plant in Wyoming, a milestone reached by only six projects in the past 20 years.
The Salt Lake-based firm’s subsidiary rPlus Hydro has submitted the Application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), a move which kickstarts an environmental review and licensing process with local, state and federal bodies.
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The Seminoe Pumped Storage project will have a maximum power output of 900MW and a discharge duration at that power of 10 hours, meaning a 9,000MWh/9GWh system.
Construction will cost around US$2.5 billion, the company said, and the project will become a crucial component of the regional transmission grid as more renewables come online.
Matthew Shapiro, rPlus Hydro CEO said: “Seminoe Pumped Storage will be an ideal match for Wyoming’s excellent wind energy resource, and will support Wyoming’s role as an energy leader. It can also help ensure efficient utilization of new transmission lines that are, or will soon be, under construction, such as the Gateway lines and TransWest Express.”
It was seven months ago that the company submitted a draft license application for the project.
Energy-Storage.news recently reported on one study which pegged the US’ potential for pumped hydro energy storage at 35TWh, equivalent to nearly another 4,000 projects the size of Seminoe. A map produced as part of that research showed the bulk of the identified sites are in the Mountain West region of the US where Wyoming is.
rPlus Hydro has other pumped hydro projects in the pipeline including Hurricane Cliffs, in Hurricane, Utah, which would contain a 166.6 MW reversible pump-turbine unit. The firm filed a application for a preliminary permit for that project in April 2022.
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