The energy transition requires large-scale storage to provide long-term supply and short-term grid stability. Though pumped hydro storage is widely used for this purpose, regions without natural topography do not have the potential for traditional high-head pumped hydro storage. To address this, multiple projects for low-head and seawater pumped hydro storage have been proposed, though few have been implemented. Here, we review the state of the art of the components of low-head seawater pumped hydro storage projects, for construction in shallow seas or integrated into coastal defenses. We reference all civil infrastructure components, in addition to legal, environmental/biological, and financial constraints, drawing knowledge from proposed, planned, and constructed tidal power and seawater pumped hydro storage projects worldwide. Combining this knowledge, we make a preliminary evaluation of the feasibility for low-head seawater pumped hydro storage in the North Sea. We find that an elevated storage basin is more economical than an excavated one in shallow bathymetry (10 m deep or less), while the reverse is true in deeper water. Corrosion and fouling prevention are already well developed due to implementation of these measures at tidal power plants. Dam construction is feasible if measures are taken to address piping, macro-instability (primarily from rapid drawdown), and bursting of the clay layer. Within the context of Europe, legal and environmental regulations may be the most formidable hurdles to such projects.

The pan-European power grid is experiencing an increasing penetration of Variable Renewable Energy (VRE). The fluctuating and non-dispatchable nature of VRE hinders them in providing the Ancillary Service (AS) needed for the reliability and stability of the grid. Therefore, Energy Storage Systems (ESS) are needed along the VRE. Among the different ESS, a particularly viable and reliable option is Pumped Hydro Storage (PHS), given its cost-effective implementation and considerable lifespan, in comparison to other technologies. Traditional PHS plants with Francis turbines operate at a high head difference. However, not all regions have the necessary topology to make these plants cost-effective and efficient. Therefore, the ALPHEUS project will introduce low-head PHS for regions with a relatively flat topography. In this paper, a grid-forming controlled converter coupled with low-head PHS that can contribute to the grid stability is introduced, emphasising its ability to provide different AS, especially frequency control, through the provision of fast Frequency Containment Reserve (fFCR) as well as synthetic system inertia. This paper is an extended version of the paper “The Contribution of Low-head Pumped Hydro Storage to a successful Energy Transition”, which was presented at the 19^th Wind Integration Workshop 2020.