Fortum mulls setting up pumped hydro storage plants in Sweden

Finnish energy company Fortum has initiated a two-year feasibility study to explore prerequisites for new pumped hydro storage plants, said the company in a press release on Tuesday.

The company will examine commercial, technological, environmental and regulatory conditions for new pumped hydro storage plants in Sweden.

The feasibility study will focus on thorough assessments of three areas in Sweden and will explore whether building new pumped hydro storages fulfil Fortum’s criteria of economic viability and environmental requirements.

The geographic focus of the feasibility study are in three areas: in Lekstjärnen, next to Fortum’s hydropower plant in Trängslet in Dalarna County, and Bastvålen and Höljessjön in Värmland County.

Fortum operates three pumped storage power plants; Kymmen, Letten and Eggsjön in Värmland, Sweden.

The installed capacity of Fortum’s existing pumped storage plants in Sweden is 89,5 MW.

The future potential power increase from pumped storage plants will be analyzed in the feasibility study.

“Pumped hydro storage offers much-needed flexibility to the Nordic energy system and increases predictability for households and industries. Pumped hydro storage has the ability to both produce, store and consume electricity during long periods of time and in great amounts, reaching up to thousands of megawatts,” said Mikael Lemström, Executive Vice-President of Fortum hydro.

Any decisions about potential future investments would be made in due course.

In Finland, Fortum’s associated company Kemijoki Oy is exploring pumped storage hydro power plants in northern Finland.