Pumping back water into the Kariba dam

QuestionsCategory: GeneralPumping back water into the Kariba dam
default avatarTawa asked 2 months ago
Since the Kariba dam is running  low on water levels, I was wondering: is it possible  to pump back the water lost after electricity  generation back into the dam?

1 Answers
7cd8de6a55efa6895d32563517e0734bf13d7275c0b9815531601ad8b84413f3?s=48&d=mm&r=g8nzsm Staff answered 2 months ago
Its possible, but electricity is needed to run the pumps so if they do that, the station itself might be the biggest electricity consumer. You can read more about pumped storage hydro electricity
 
Pumped-storage hydroelectricity (PSH), or pumped hydroelectric energy storage (PHES), is a type of hydroelectric energy storage used by electric power systems for load balancing. The method stores energy in the form of gravitational potential energy of water, pumped from a lower elevation reservoir to a higher elevation. Low-cost surplus off-peak electric power is typically used to run the pumps. During periods of high electrical demand, the stored water is released through turbines to produce electric power. Although the losses of the pumping process make the plant a net consumer of energy overall, the system increases revenue by selling more electricity during periods of peak demand, when electricity prices are highest. If the upper lake collects significant rainfall or is fed by a river then the plant may be a net energy producer in the manner of a traditional hydroelectric plant.