Voith Hydro is to design, manufacture, and install 720MW of ternary pumped storage equipment for the Cat Creek Energy and Water (CCEW) Project planned near Mountain Home, Idaho on the South Fork of the Boise River – in the first of several contracts for the company.
The overall project, which includes wind and solar generation parks, the pumped storage plant, the associated electrical transmission facilities and structures, and a very large upper reservoir, will provide more than $1 billion in US manufacturing and construction jobs over the next six years and will offset more than 2.7 million metric tons of CO2 emissions annually.
The CCEW project also addresses many key national and regional issues including the transition to providing firm, resilient and reliable renewable energy; the mitigation of long-term effects of climate change; and the securing of a significant portion of the future water storage needs in the Boise River Basin.
“Voith Hydro is all in when it comes to supporting the renewable energy transition and climate change goals in the US and around the world,” said Stanley J. Kocon, President and CEO of Voith Hydro North America. “This project will be the most advanced large-scale, fully integrated energy and water storage project ever constructed in the US and we’re excited to be partnered with Cat Creek Energy right from the start.”
“The CCEW project was uniquely conceived to address the needs for renewable energy and water storage with the best technologies available and with the highest degree of flexibility to adjust to future needs,” added John Faulkner, Owner of Cat Creek Energy. “By selecting Voith Hydro ternary units, we lock in the most capable technology for the pumped storage facility and confirm our intent to build this critical infrastructure project with American steel manufactured in America.”
When completed, the CCEW Project will be capable of generating 1100MW of clean, renewable energy, including 720MW of hydropower from the ternary pumped storage hydropower equipment provided by Voith. The upper reservoir will store enough water to support more than 40% of the projected water supply needs of the Boise River Basin. This stored water volume will provide five complete days of full generation capacity from the pumped storage facility, creating one of the most significant Large Volume, Long Duration (LVLD) energy storage facilities in the West. The energy to power the pumps will come from on-site wind turbine and photovoltaic solar panel arrays as well as other variable renewable energy resources around the region.
"Cat Creek Energy’s agreement with one of the world’s largest hydropower technology companies is a welcome milestone in this Idaho business’ effort to build its advanced pumped storage hydro energy and water storage project in Elmore County," US Representative Mike Simpson said. "The project will bring hundreds of good paying construction and operational jobs and other economic benefits to Idaho."
Image from https://www.catcreekenergy.com/