Repurposing the past, powering the future - socio-economic impacts of hybrid pumped hydro storage in Greece and Poland's coal regions

IF 7.4 2区经济学 Q1 ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

Energy Research & Social Science Pub Date : 2025-10-16 DOI:10.1016/j.erss.2025.104386

Mariusz Kruczek , Karolina Jąderko-Skubis , Aikaterini Servou , Christos Roumpos , Eleni Mertiri , Priscilla Ernst , Thomas Kempka , Jaroslaw Darmosz

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The transition from coal-dependent economies to renewable energy systems presents significant socio-economic challenges, particularly in regions historically reliant on mining. This study addresses the knowledge gap regarding the socio-economic effects of repurposing former lignite mines into hybrid pumped hydro storage facilities in two European regions: Western Macedonia, Greece, and Bełchatów, Poland. A multidisciplinary approach was used, combining statistical data analysis, policy review, expert panel assessments, and stakeholder surveys. Key indicators examined include gross domestic product, employment rates, municipal budget revenues, and public health impacts related to carbon emissions. Two scenarios were modelled: a baseline scenario without hybrid pumped hydro storage and a transformative scenario that includes its implementation, projecting outcomes through 2050, aligned with the European Union's climate neutrality objectives. Results show that hybrid pumped hydro storage can soften economic declines caused by mine closures by creating jobs, stabilizing local economies, and supporting environmental sustainability through reduced emissions. These findings underscore the potential of such projects to support just transitions by promoting economic diversification, regional resilience, and improved quality of life. The study offers new insights into technology-driven socio-economic transformations in post-coal regions, providing helpful guidance for policymakers involved in renewable energy transitions and regional development planning.

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重新利用过去，为未来提供动力——希腊和波兰煤炭地区混合抽水蓄能的社会经济影响

从依赖煤炭的经济向可再生能源系统的过渡带来了重大的社会经济挑战，特别是在历史上依赖采矿的地区。本研究解决了两个欧洲地区（希腊西马其顿和波兰Bełchatów）关于将前褐煤矿山改造为混合抽水蓄能设施的社会经济影响的知识差距。采用多学科方法，结合统计数据分析、政策审查、专家小组评估和利益相关者调查。审查的关键指标包括国内生产总值、就业率、市政预算收入以及与碳排放有关的公共卫生影响。模拟了两种情景：一种是没有混合抽水蓄能的基线情景，另一种是包括其实施的转型情景，预测到2050年的结果，与欧盟的气候中和目标保持一致。结果表明，混合抽水蓄能可以通过创造就业机会，稳定当地经济，并通过减少排放支持环境可持续性，从而缓解矿山关闭造成的经济衰退。这些发现强调了此类项目通过促进经济多样化、区域抵御能力和改善生活质量来支持公正转型的潜力。该研究为后煤炭时代地区技术驱动的社会经济转型提供了新的见解，为参与可再生能源转型和区域发展规划的政策制定者提供了有益的指导。

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来源期刊

Energy Research & Social Science ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES-

CiteScore

14.00

自引率

16.40%

发文量

441

审稿时长

55 days

期刊介绍： Energy Research & Social Science (ERSS) is a peer-reviewed international journal that publishes original research and review articles examining the relationship between energy systems and society. ERSS covers a range of topics revolving around the intersection of energy technologies, fuels, and resources on one side and social processes and influences - including communities of energy users, people affected by energy production, social institutions, customs, traditions, behaviors, and policies - on the other. Put another way, ERSS investigates the social system surrounding energy technology and hardware. ERSS is relevant for energy practitioners, researchers interested in the social aspects of energy production or use, and policymakers. Energy Research & Social Science (ERSS) provides an interdisciplinary forum to discuss how social and technical issues related to energy production and consumption interact. Energy production, distribution, and consumption all have both technical and human components, and the latter involves the human causes and consequences of energy-related activities and processes as well as social structures that shape how people interact with energy systems. Energy analysis, therefore, needs to look beyond the dimensions of technology and economics to include these social and human elements.