Paposo Pumped Storage Plant for Energy Storage, Generation and Transport

Description: The project entails the construction and operation of a pumped storage plant, spread over 287ha, in the region and province of Antofagasta, specifically in the commune of Taltal, town of Paposo, Chile. The plant will consist of seawater intake and discharge works, a desalination plant, an underwater outfall, a lower reservoir, an upper reservoir, adduction works to connect both reservoirs, a powerhouse, a step-up substation and a transmission line to connect to the National Electric System (SEN) at the Parinas substation. The project will pump water from the lower reservoir to the upper reservoir (pumping mode) through the adduction/impulsion works, accumulating water during hours of high solar and/or wind generation (daytime), to subsequently generate energy (generation mode) in the afternoon, night and early morning hours, changing the direction of water flow from the upper reservoir to the lower reservoir through the same adduction/impulsion pipeline, taking advantage of a difference in level of approximately 1,500m between the reservoirs.