| Palmiet Pumped Storage Scheme | |
|---|---|
 Dam and tower of the Palmiet Pumped Storage Scheme seen from the Palmiet River | |
  Palmiet Pumped Storage Scheme Location of Palmiet Pumped Storage Scheme in South Africa | |
| Location | Western Cape |
| Coordinates | 34°11′52″S18°58′27″E / 34.19782°S 18.97407°E /-34.19782; 18.97407 |
| Status | Operational |
| Opening date | 1988; 37 years ago (1988) |
| Operator | Eskom |
| Upper reservoir | |
| Creates | Rockview Dam |
| Total capacity | 3 100 000 m3[1] |
| Lower reservoir | |
| Creates | Kogelberg Dam |
| Power Station | |
| Installed capacity | 400MW |
ThePalmiet Pumped Storage Scheme consists of two 200 megawatts (270,000 hp) turbine units located 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) upstream of theKogelberg Dam on thePalmiet River nearCape Town, South Africa.[2] Thepumped-storage hydroelectricity plant is capable of responding to a surge in peak power demand in minutes.[3] At night, excess power on the grid generated by conventional coal andnuclear plants is used to pump water to the upperRockview Dam overlookingGordon's Bay.
It is regarded[by whom?] as a forerunner inenvironmental engineering. The whole Palmiet site is a conservation area and in December 1998 the area was declared aBiosphere Reserve byUNESCO - the first in South Africa.
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