Feasibility Study of Construction of Pumped Storage Power Station Using Abandoned Mines: A Case Study of the Shitai Mine

TLDR

China’s carbon neutrality target is accelerating the decline of fossil fuels and the rise of renewables, but its limited energy‑storage capacity makes large‑scale pumped‑storage attractive, especially given abandoned mines’ suitability and international precedents, including a formal pilot in China. The study proposes a plan to construct a pumped‑storage power station at the Shitai Mine in Anhui, China. The plan leverages the mine’s underground space and nearby surface water resources to enable the pumped‑storage facility. The feasibility study indicates that converting the Shitai Mine would reduce costs and construction time, address economic, ecological, and social challenges, improve peak‑load regulation, and support China’s carbon‑peaking and neutrality goals, though further research and demonstration projects are needed.

Abstract

Due to the proposal of China’s carbon neutrality target, the traditional fossil energy industry continues to decline, and the proportion of new energy continues to increase. New energy power systems have high requirements for peak shaving and energy storage, but China’s current energy storage facilities are seriously insufficient in number and scale. The unique features of abandoned mines offer considerable potential for the construction of large-scale pumped storage power stations. Several countries have reported the conversion of abandoned mines to pumped storage plants, and a pilot project for the conversion of an underground reservoir group has been formalized in China. A feasibility study that considered the natural conditions, mine conditions, safety conditions, and economic benefits revealed that the construction of pumped storage power stations using abandoned mines could ameliorate several economic, ecological, and social problems, including resource utilization, ecological restoration, and population resettlement. The construction of pumped storage power stations using abandoned mines not only utilizes underground space with no mining value (reduced cost and construction period), but also improves the peak-load regulation and energy storage urgently needed for the development of power grid systems. Combined with the underground space and surface water resources of the Shitai Mine in Anhui, China, a plan for the construction of a pumped storage power station was proposed. The challenges faced by the current project were evaluated, further research suggested, and demonstration projects established in order to help achieve carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals.