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Kruonis Pumped Storage Plant

Kruonis Pumped Storage Plant
Kruonis Pumped Storage Plant.jpg
Kruonis Pumped Storage Plant is located in Lithuania
Kruonis Pumped Storage Plant
Location of Kruonis Pumped Storage Plant in Lithuania
Country Lithuania
Location Kruonis
Coordinates 54°47′56″N 24°14′51″E / 54.79889°N 24.24750°E / 54.79889; 24.24750Coordinates: 54°47′56″N 24°14′51″E / 54.79889°N 24.24750°E / 54.79889; 24.24750
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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