About 40 yrs ago a Civil Eng. friend of mine was working on a "pumped hydo" scheme somewhere just south of Durban. 

I have lost contact with that friend but I was wondering if that scheme ever got up and running and if so what were the results.

There is a lot of talk atm about pumped hydro in Oz but to date I don't think much has happened. It does seem like a good way of storing offpeak PV or wind power for use during peak times.

Like in RSA, we are short of water at times but surely with a pumped system there would not be a lot of wastage as the water could just be recirculated. Even salt water???

Thoughts/comments???

Cheers. Bill.

Are you perhaps referring to the Lesotho Highlands Water Project - Wikipedia ? It's  North of Durban though. 

Thanks for the reply "Silver...."

I had a look at that link but I think the scheme I am referring to was long before that. Say Late 1970's. Also, that Wiki link does not mention "pumped hydro" but maybe my poor old brain is a little confused....not difficult to do these days!

Pumped Hydro is having trouble getting support even in Oz because it is a massive long term project and no Gov't. will start something that it's successor may get the benefit of. From what I see on this forum about the state of the power system in RSA these days a big project would have even more difficulty getting off the ground over there????

See this...interesting?

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-30/snowy-hydro/10683112

Edited April 29, 20197 yr by gpigeon
additional info

There are a few systems in South Africa. The latest one unfortunately not good due to (in)famous Eskom expertise.

Eskom, and South Africa, has two pumped storage schemes, both operated in conjunction with the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry as part of water transfer schemes. Palmiet Pumped Storage Scheme in the Western Cape can be used to pump additional water from the Palmiet River via the Rockview Dam to the Steenbras Dam to supplement the Cape Town water supply. Drakensberg Pumped Storage Scheme in the KwaZulu Natal Drakensberg is able to transfer 20m3 of water per second from the Kilburn Dam to the Sterkfontein Dam from where it flows into the Vaal River to augment water supply to Gauteng.