Pumped-storage power plants deliver less electricity: 18 percent decline
Published
Electricity generation in Austria relies to a large extent on hydropower. Rivers and reservoirs in the Alps have for many decades supplied an important share of the electricity that households and businesses in the country need. Now new figures show that pumped-storage power plants generated 18 percent less electricity compared with an earlier period.
Pumped-storage power plants work differently from conventional hydropower plants. When electricity demand is low, they pump water from a lower basin into a higher one. When more electricity is needed, they let the water flow back down and thereby drive turbines. In this way, electricity can be stored and later fed into the grid.
This storage function is particularly important for the energy transition. Wind and solar energy are not always available when they are needed. For this reason, experts need flexible storage facilities that compensate for fluctuations and ensure the stability of the electricity grid. The decline in pumped-storage power plants shows how important it is to maintain and further develop such facilities if Austria wants to use more renewable energy.
Overall, hydropower remains a central element of Austria's electricity supply. Whether and how generation recovers in the coming months is being closely monitored.
Sources: science.ORF.at
More Austria news
- Austrian property funds face ongoing return pressure
- Austrians cut back on clothing and shoes as retail slows
- 51 students finish AI Engineering master at FH Technikum Wien
- FH OÖ hosts info days on 27 and 28 November at four campuses
- JKU Linz develops modular buses to cut energy and running costs
- AGES opens new high-security zoonosis lab in Mödling
- US consumer prices rise more than expected
- Finance Departments Remain Hesitant on Digitalisation and AI