Palmiet Pumped Storage Scheme | |
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Location | Western Cape |
Coordinates | 34°11′52″S 18°58′27″E / 34.19782°S 18.97407°E / -34.19782; 18.97407 |
Status | Operational |
Opening date | 1988; 36 years ago (1988) |
Operator(s) | Eskom |
Upper reservoir | |
Creates | Rockview Dam |
Total capacity | 3 100 000 m3 [1] |
Lower reservoir | |
Creates | Kogelberg Dam |
Power Station | |
Installed capacity | 400 MW |
The Palmiet Pumped Storage Scheme consists of two 200 megawatts (270,000 hp) turbine units located 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) upstream of the Kogelberg Dam on the Palmiet River near Cape Town, South Africa. [2] The pumped-storage hydroelectricity plant is capable of responding to a surge in peak power demand in minutes. [3] At night, excess power on the grid generated by conventional coal and nuclear plants is used to pump water to the upper Rockview Dam overlooking Gordon's Bay.
It is regarded[ by whom?] as a forerunner in environmental engineering. The whole Palmiet site is a conservation area and in December 1998 the area was declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO - the first in South Africa.
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