Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Accelerating variable renewable energy integration introduces substantial operational challenges to modern power grids. Frequent curtailment of surplus renewable generation highlights the pressing need for long-duration energy storage capable of shifting generation to high-demand periods while providing essential ancillary services and grid inertia. Socio-environmental constraints increasingly limit conventional hydropower development; however, closed-loop pumped-storage hydropower (PSH) presents a viable alternative because its off-river reservoirs avoid natural watercourses. This paper introduces HERA-S, a computational modeling framework developed by PSR (supported by EDF, CTG, Brookfield, and Rio Light) to streamline and standardize regional PSH site prospecting. HERA-S automates spatial screening, dam optimization, cost estimation, and socio-environmental impact scoring. Applied to a case study in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the framework employs an integer programming model to optimize dam-fill and excavation mass balances against inter-reservoir distance, significantly improving pre-feasibility planning agility.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7204473664
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