Kruonis Pumped Storage Plant (the KPSP) is located near
Kruonis,
Lithuania, east of
Kaunas. Its main purpose is to provide grid energy storage. It operates in conjunction with the
Kaunas Hydroelectric Power Plant. During periods of low demand, usually at night, Kruonis PSHP raises water from the lower
Kaunas reservoir
Kaunas Reservoir ( lt, Kauno marios, Kaunas Lagoon, Kaunas Sea) is the largest Lithuanian artificial lake, created in 1959 by damming the Nemunas River near Kaunas and Rumšiškės. It occupies 63.5 square kilometers, which is about 0.1% of the to ...
to the upper one using cheap surplus energy. The station is designed to have an installed capacity of 1,600 MW but only four 225 MW generators are currently operational. With a fully filled upper reservoir the plant can generate 900 MW for about 12 hours.
The KPSP uses
hydro-resources of artificial water pools existing at different geographical levels.
The electricity from this power plant is supplied to a 330 kV electricity line to
Elektrėnai
Elektrėnai () is a city of about 11,000 inhabitants in Lithuania; since 2000 it has been the capital of the Elektrėnai Municipality. It is situated between the two largest cities in Lithuania – Vilnius and Kaunas.
History
Elektrėnai is one ...
, where the
largest fossil fuel plant in Lithuania is operating, and Kaunas.
During a surplus of electricity generation, the KPSP uses the surplus electricity to pump water from the lower pool to the upper pool.
During an electricity output deficit, the Kruonis PSP operates as a regular hydro power plant, letting water flow from the upper pool to the lower pool to generate additional electricity. With a fully filled upper reservoir the plant can generate 900 MW for about 12 hours. Kruonis Plant is the only
pumped-storage station in the
Baltic states.
The Kruonis PSP Industrial Park and Kruonis Technology Park were created as the location, infrastructure and low electricity price are attractive for data centers.
See also
*
List of pumped-storage hydroelectric power stations
The following page lists all pumped-storage hydroelectric power stations that are larger than in installed generating capacity, which are currently operational or under construction. Those power stations that are smaller than , and those that ar ...
External links
Kruonis Pumped Storage Plant's official website
References
{{Authority control
Pumped-storage hydroelectric power stations in Lithuania
Hydroelectric power stations built in the Soviet Union
Buildings and structures in Kaunas County
Energy infrastructure completed in 1998