Abdelmoumen pumped storage hydroelectric plant

VINCI Construction Grands Projets is to deliver a turnkey 350MW pumped storage hydroelectric plant project as part of Morocco's renewable energy development programme. The plant is aimed at supporting the local public power grid, supplied mainly by thermal power plants and wind facilities. The project includes construction design, civil works, supply of materials and pumping equipment, assembly, testing and plant commissioning.

Background

The pumped storage hydroelectric plant in Abdelmoumen, a town located 70km from Agadir, ties in with the plan to develop and integrate renewable energies in Morocco.
The project will meet the country’s demand for electricity during peak periods. This rapid-response solution will offset any drops in wind at wind farms in southern Morocco and, more generally, will help Morocco transition towards new energies, thanks to financing from the Africa Development Bank (AfDB) and the European Investment Bank (EIB).

Technical overview

The Abdelmoumen scheme involves building two water reservoirs at different altitudes, and between the two, at a low point, a powerhouse comprising reversible pump-turbines.
The water stored in the upper reservoir will be released into a 3km waterway (comprising a penstock and tunnels), flowing 550m downhill towards the lower reservoir. The 350MW hydroelectric plant will be installed between the two reservoirs along the waterway. This reversible plant will generate electricity in turbine mode, and will pump water from the lower to the upper reservoir in pumping mode, thus generating renewable energy on demand. The system can be switched between pumping and turbine mode up to 20 times a day, depending on the amount of surplus electricity available or the needs of the Moroccan power grid. Excess energy is stored in the form of potential energy of water.
The civil works (undertaken by VINCI Construction Grands Projets) will be preceded by earthworks for the two reservoirs (carried out by VINCI Construction Terrassement), the creation of 14km of access roads, the excavation for the powerhouse embedded in the slope, and the installation of the 3km waterway, of which 1km is underground.
New roads will need to be built and others refurbished to provide access to the facilities for both the works and operational phase of the site.

“Pumped hydro storage remains the best technical and economic solution for storing energy generated by green projects. The Abdelmoumen facility will be connected to the national power grid, helping it meet peaks in demand,” says Anne Sosso, VINCI Construction Grands Projets bid engineer

Impact

The Abdelmoumen pumped storage project will contribute towards the region’s social and economic development. Around 800 people will be employed by VINCI Construction Grands Projets, of whom 780 will be hired locally. A training programme has been set up to ensure site safety and quality. The project supplements the considerable track record built by VINCI Construction Grands Projets in the construction of water infrastructure, which includes the Centre de Mayotte wastewater treatment plant, the Brussels-South wastewater treatment plant and facilities in Jamaica aimed at improving access to water for the local population.

Project participants

Client
Office national de l’électricité et de l’eau potable (ONEE)

Consultant
Lahmeyer – Tractebel

Key figures

Implementation dates
April 2018 to 2024

Reservoir capacity: 1.3 million cubic metres

Earthworks: 6 million cubic metres

Shafts: 28m / 55m / 59m / 49m / 48m

Concrete: 82,000 cubic metres