A Case Study of a Reverse Osmosis Based Pumped Energy Storage Plant in Canary Islands

Abstract

Gran Canaria, due to its status as an island, has an isolated energy system (IES). This has made it dependent on itself for energy production, which is basically obtained from: (a) Wind and solar energy, which equals 19% of the total energy produced, (b) Energy obtained from the burning of fossil fuels in the energy production equipment of the existing thermal power stations, which equals 81% of the total energy produced. A solution must be found to the current production system, which is already partially obsolete and is due for renewal and/or decommissioning, in order to avoid “Energy Zero”, which means a change in the production cycle. In addition, the incorporation of a pumped hydroelectric energy storage plant “Chira-Soria” into the Gran Canaria electricity system represents another, even more important, change in the dynamics followed up to now. Basically, this plant, which is hydraulically stabilized by means of a seawater desalination plant, incorporates energy storage by storing water at high altitude to be turbined under appropriate conditions. The new situation will be analyzed with this incorporation and the option of an integrated operation in the overall energy system of Gran Canaria will be considered.

Keywords

• pumped hydroelectric energy storage
• renewable energy
• reverse osmosis
• seawater desalination
• insular electric systems
• CO₂ mitigation