Energy storage for wind integration: hydropower and other contributions

The amount of wind power and other timevariable non-dispatchable renewable energy sources (RES) is rapidly increasing in the world. A few power systems are already facing very high penetrations from variable renewables which can surpass the systems' consumption during no-load periods, requiring the energy excess to be curtailed, exported or stored. The limitations of electric energy storage naturally lead to the selection of the well-known form of storing potential energy in reservoirs of reversible hydropower stations, although other technologies such as heat storage are also being used successfully. This paper reviews the storage technologies that are available and may be used on a power system scale and compares their advantages and disadvantages for the integration of fast-growing renewables, such as wind power, with a special focus on the role of pumped hydro storage.