A long-term generation and transmission expansion planning model considering desalination flexibility and coordination: A Chilean case study

Manuel Portilla-Paveri, Denise Cariaga, Matías Negrete-Pincetic, Álvaro Lorca and Miguel F. Anjos

Applied Energy, 2024, vol. 371, issue C, No S0306261924009619

Abstract: The evolving landscape of electrical grids has presented formidable challenges to energy systems, which need adaptable solutions for reliability, supply adequacy, and demand balance, where demand flexibility arises as a pivotal operational asset for these needs. In recent decades, desalination technology, particularly reverse osmosis, has been employed to purify seawater and brackish water by removing salt and impurities, effectively addressing water scarcity in some regions of the world. However, its energy-intensive nature, driven by high-pressure pump usage, leads to significant operational expenses and places additional strain on the power grid. Our study introduces a novel holistic model for the Chilean electricity system, incorporating reverse osmosis desalination facilities to comprehensively confront water scarcity through strategies that leverage the flexibility of high-pressure pumps. The model considers dispatch coordination, unveiling the synergy’s value given mainly by the desalination system and the energy generation infrastructure. The study underscores the influence of desalination on power system dynamics, transmission, and generation expansion throughout the time horizon of 2025 to 2040. The principal findings underscore the advantages derived from co-optimizing desalination and the electrical system, the enhanced system performance from flexible desalination plant operations, and the synergistic potential of solar, battery energy storage, and the desalinated water system. These insights help to inform investment decisions, decarbonization policies, and the water–energy nexus interplay, charting a course towards comprehensive sustainability.

Keywords: Expansion planning with renewable energies; Power system planning; Desalination; Flexible operation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2024.123578

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