Distributed pumped hydro for transforming energy and water access

The Energy Catalyst (EC) 6 Pumped Hydro with Zero Energy Grid Balancing project is led by industrial partners Water Powered Technologies Ltd (WPT). It already has a clear pathway to impact, developing on a concluded EC3 Early-Stage collaboration on the technology feasibility around ram pump deployment and the experiences of deploying ram pumps at multiple locations worldwide for water supply (funded commercially or through the Scottish Government's Climate Justice Fund).

This mid-stage EC6 project focuses on integrated demonstrator development (TRL 6&7) and application in transforming energy access for community energy and water transfer needs in two sites, one in Malawi and one in Uganda. Demonstrating a successful zero-energy input Pumped Hydro Electric Storage (PHES) with operational data supported by academic research will immediately open up new customers and opportunities is a key next step on the technology's route to market.

Two specific technical objectives are focused on:
(1) Improving ram pump operational performance - The Papa pump (a hydraulic ram pump) performance will be improved through technical research and development testing the addition of the innovative Sureflow component to enhance system water efficiencies.
(2) Developing an integrated PHES capability, combined with meeting community water supply and power generation needs - PHES is the most rapid and sustainable proven renewable energy technology currently available and readily integrates with water supply networks.

"Zero energy" input PHES offers strong low-carbon options for providing water storage and supply to meet drought and environmental regulation conditions. also overcomes the limits seasonal surface water flow variabilities have on traditional 'run of river' systems. By storing excess flood water and releasing it in drought water courses can be replenished with 'compensation' flows necessary for wildlife and incomes for farmers or activities such as fishing and fish farming protection, offering wider benefits beyond being the fastest provider of electricity to homes and a renewable energy store for the local community.

WPT has designed, patented and proven a new water pump which uses just water pressure to move water 100's meters vertically and over long distances. These could allow many more opportunities for micro and mini PHES systems and agricultural use. At times of peak electricity demand water could be released from a network of lakes, generating power for the grid or specific loads. Without WPT's range of new large scale, zero energy pumping systems, distributed micro PHES has never before been even theoretically possible as it required power to fill the storage lakes or reservoirs. Therefore, it has never been seriously considered until now as a low cost/ strategic energy storage option. This EC6 project aims to challenge this through developing a successful PHES demonstrator in collaboration with key local partners (University of Makerere Uganda; and BaseFLOW, MEGA and Community Energy Malawi; Malawi) to demonstrate the potential for transforming the energy access opportunities for African communities.

Supporting this project is an essential programme of activity around gender and social role based group inclusion. It is long established that African community water needs are often focused around women and there is need to understand fully local relationships and roles to deliver the strongest possible demonstration of the value of this technology being employed as an integrated system. WPT and the University of Strathclyde have partnered with Community Insights Group, a wellknown and establish social impact assessment consultancy group, who will support research activity to establish critical roles, opportunities and solutions for transforming water and energy access for all in the demonstrator communities.

With a successful "zero-energy PHES" demonstrator completed in this EC6 project, with operational performance available and environmental benefits communicated to stakeholders, many more similar projects can be developed across the developing world. Interested parties and stakeholders include the BEIS community, energy policy makers and academic community members across the international spectrum.

WPT is the only participant in the global 'water powered' pump sector which has invested in a large volume production with a newly patented, novel design which can move bulk quantities while most of the traditional pump industry has focused on solar powered pumps to achieve the much needed fossil fuel / carbon savings for their customers. WPT expect the result of its technical innovation will support a local supply chain in retaining the value and therefore making success more predictable. UoS will contribute directly to this wider impact through the R&D associated with Work Package 1, 2 and 3.

Due to the nature of the Papa pump being designed so that all farmers can install it themselves, the most effective route to market is local communities selling to each other. The value of Work package 5 will determine who capacity can be built in locals training and educating each other on effective PHES employment. These two demonstration pilots for pumped hydro will test to what extent the micro-hydro element can be delivered locally and what skills in addition to Papa pumps will be needed for already existing micro-grid capable specialist partners need to be involved. They impact of these will be felt widely across the communities. Additionally WPT has not seen others try and achieve deeper local supply chain integration and questions whether this is even possible with complex microelectronics so common in many fossil fuelled or even solar products- including Internet of Things/ software reliant 'energy efficient' electric pumps. This makes this project unique and innovative the in the potential disruption to the market in the developing world and wider.

Through wide scale DFI and impact investor reach, WPT expects the two demonstration site case studies to be immediately presented at the highest levels. University of Strathclyde (UoS) as part of their outputs will be creating a CPD in 'zero energy' water pumping and hydro site design so that other communities and NGOs can engage with such systems by distance learning to help them process the new opportunities which can be created for themselves and their surface water resources.

Specific impact activities during the programme will comprise:
1. Successful demonstrator of effective PHES and integrated water supply systems at work and generation will smooth pathway to national roll out of the technology by answering questions and removing barriers
2. Create a direct knowledge exchange pathway from the university to the energy market through a leading water energy technology partner
3. Technical Workshops and project meetings.
4. Public and community engagement activities.
5. Patent applications for relevant IP supporting the new components
6. Academic papers and international conferences.

More general impacts of the project include:
1. Contributions to evidence based energy policy.
2. Contributions to environmental sustainability and meeting renewable energy targets in the national and international markets.
3. Greater understanding of the roles gender and social inclusion can have in transforming energy access.