Energiasalv has secured an official permit to go ahead with the construction of its 550MW Zero Terrain pumped hydro storage plant in Estonia.

The permit was granted by the Estonian Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority, said Energiasalv, which is owned by the Estonian energy company AS Alexela, Sunly AS owned by Baltic-Polish renewable energy company, and Vool OÜ.

Construction on what is being touted as Estonia’s first large-scale energy storage project will begin in the summer of 2024. The water battery is planned to be constructed in Paldiski in northwestern Estonia.

According to Energiasalv, there is a minor environmental and land-use impact associated with the underground pumped-hydro storage plant, and owing to this it can be developed in urban areas.

The Zero Terrain pumped hydro storage plant will facilitate the deployment of renewable energy production in the region and considerably reduce the electricity bills of consumers, said Energiasalv.

Peep Siitam — Energiasalv CEO said: “Emission-free energy with a high security of supply at an affordable price is only possible with large-scale and long-term energy storage. I am proud that Energiasalv’s Zero Terrain project can provide the region with an energy supply that will meet future requirements.

“Considering we are in the middle of an energy crisis, our team is moving at a speed and strength comparable to the water itself.”

During one storage cycle of 12 hours, the Zero Terrain pumped hydro storage plant will have a storage capacity of 6GWh. This will be adequate to supply power at affordable costs to consumers when there’s no availability of wind or solar power available, claimed Energiasalv.

The company added that the production from the energy storage project is on par with the average daily power consumption of Estonian homes.

Sander Astor — Energiasalv Chief Technical Officer said: “Having completed our permitting process with the Estonian Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority, we are glad to announce that we will continue with the pre-qualification for the construction procurement in the beginning of February.

“We aim to finalize the tender process by the end of 2023 and start construction on the project in the summer of 2024.”

  AS Alexela, Energiasalv, energy storage, Estonia, Peep Siitam, pumped hydro storage, renewable energy, Sander Astor, Sunly AS, Vool OÜ, Zero Terrain project