Design of reliable standalone utility-scale pumped hydroelectric storage powered by PV/Wind hybrid renewable system

• Published in: Energy conversion and management 2024-12, Vol.322, p.119173, Article 119173
• Main Authors: Nassar, Yasser F., El-Khozondar, Hala J., Khaleel, Mohamed M., Ahmed, Abdussalam A., Alsharif, Abdulgader H., Elmnifi, Monaem H., Salem, Mansour A., Mangir, Ibrahim
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: administrative management; carbon dioxide; climate; computer software; Electrical Load; electricity; electricity generation; farms; Hybrid renewable energy system; Libya; markets; power generation; Pumped hydropower storage; Solar Energy; water power; wind; Wind energy; wind farms; wind turbines
• ISSN: 0196-8904
• DOI: 10.1016/j.enconman.2024.119173

[Display omitted] •The proposed hybrid renewable energy system promotes decentralized power generation and maintains grid stability.•To balance supply and demand, achieve low LCOE and high reliability, a model connects PV solar, wind, and PHS.•The approach accounts for CO2 social cost and power supply reliability while promoting 100% renewables and decarbonization. With a target of 35 % renewable energy in the country’s energy mix by 2030, the goal of this research is to support the Libyan government’s plan to maximize the use of environmentally friendly and sustainable energy sources. This will be accomplished by making effective use of the region’s plentiful natural resources. The feasibility of wind and solar energy has been established by local research, and the presence of highlands that can store pumped hydropower (PHS) makes hybrid renewable energy systems (HRES) even more feasible. These systems might offer a sizable edge over competitors in the regional energy market. In this study, PHS was utilized to stabilize electricity production in addition to storing energy. A hydropower turbine provides electricity to the load, and the PHS system is powered by a PV/wind supply. By lowering the volatility of wind and photovoltaic power generation, the suggested system could offer a more dependable renewable energy source without requiring complicated control mechanisms. This strategy could encourage a wider adoption of renewable energy, which could be especially advantageous for developing nations. Under particular load and climate conditions, the energy production of different solar PV array and wind turbine farm configurations was estimated using the System Advisor Model (SAM) software. The ideal HRES configuration consists of a 290 MW wind farm, a 154 MW solar PV field, and a 508 MW PHS system. This configuration will provide 100 % of the annual electrical demand of 513 GWh, plus a 20 % safety margin. The levelized cost of energy (LCOE), estimated at $211.65/MWh, is reduced by this configuration. It is anticipated that the $929.02 million initial investment will be recovered in 11 years, and the system will turn a profit in the following 9 years. Also, the planned HRES will stop 532.17 tons of CO2 emissions from being released each year.