Żarnowiec Pumped Storage Power Station

Żarnowiec Pumped Storage Power Station
Location of Żarnowiec Pumped Storage Power Station in Poland
Country	Poland
Location	Żarnowiec
Coordinates
Status	Operational
Construction began	1976
Commission date	1983
Owner(s)	PGE Polish Energy Group
Pumped-storage power station
Upper reservoir	Upper Żarnowiec
Upper res. capacity	16,445,000 m3 (13,332 acre·ft)
Lower reservoir	Lake Żarnowiec
Lower res. capacity	124,000,000 m3 (101,000 acre·ft)
Hydraulic head	119.3 m (391 ft)
Generating units	4 x 170 MW reversible Francis turbines
Power generation
Nameplate capacity	680 MW

The Żarnowiec Pumped Storage Power Station is located about 7 km (4.3 mi) south of Żarnowiec in Puck County, northern Poland. The 680 MW pumped-storage power station was constructed between 1976 and 1983. The power station was modernized between 2007 and 2011 and the upper reservoir was reconstructed in 2006. It is the largest hydroelectric power station in Poland. It uses four 170 MW Francis pump turbines to send water from its lower reservoir, Lake Żarnowiec, up to an upper reservoir for storage. During periods of high power demand, the water is release back down to the turbines to produce power. Water is pumped back up during periods of low power demand, such as night time. The power station was intended to be a load-balancer for Żarnowiec Nuclear Power Plant which was supposed to be constructed on the opposite side of Lake Żarnowiec.