Kruonis Pumped Storage Plant
| Kruonis Pumped Storage Plant | |
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 Location of Kruonis Pumped Storage Plant in Lithuania
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| Country | Lithuania |
| Location | Kruonis |
| Coordinates | 54°47′56″N 24°14′51″E / 54.79889°N 24.24750°ECoordinates: 54°47′56″N 24°14′51″E / 54.79889°N 24.24750°E |
| Status | Operational |
| Commission date | 1998 |
| Pumped-storage power station | |
| Upper reservoir | Kruonis Upper |
| Upper res. capacity | 48,000,000 m3 (39,000 acre·ft) |
| Lower reservoir | Kaunas Reservoir |
| Lower res. capacity | 460,000,000 m3 (370,000 acre·ft) |
| Hydraulic head | 103.5 m (340 ft) |
| Pump-generators | 4 × 225 MW reversible Francis-type |
| Power generation | |
| Units planned | 1600 MW |
| Nameplate capacity | 900 MW |
Kruonis Pumped Storage Plant (the KPSP) is located near Kruonis, Lithuania, 34 km (21 mi) east of Kaunas. Its main purpose is to provide a spinning reserve of the power system, to regulate the load curve of the power system 24 hours a day. It operates in conjunction with the Kaunas Hydroelectric Power Plant. During periods of low demand, usually at night, Kruonis PSHP is operated in pump mode, and, using cheap surplus energy, raises water from the lower Kaunas reservoir to the upper one. The station is designed to have an installed capacity of 1,600 MW but only four 225 MW generators are currently operational (a fifth is planned for 2015). With a fully filled upper reservoir the plant can generate 900 MW for about 12 hours. To liquidate the capacity deficit in the event of the disconnection of the Ignalina nuclear power plant, the Kruonis Pumped Storage Plant generators are automatically launched into operation.
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 between Elektrėnai, where the largest fossil fuel plant in Lithuania is operating, and Kaunas. During a surplus of electricity generation output, the KPSP operates at pump mode and 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 and in this way generating additional electricity. With 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.
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Wikipedia