Combined Operation of Wind-Pumped Hydro Storage Plant with a Concentrating Solar Power Plant for Insular Systems: A Case Study for the Island of Rhodes

Insular power systems are a special case of infrastructure for power production due to their particular land morphology with extensive hills and ridges. For a higher renewable energy share in the power production, a dedicated design according to local constraints is required. The high wind and solar resources of such cases can be utilized with offshore wind turbines and concentrating solar power, respectively. In addition, pumped-hydro storage is a mature and suitable technology for such terrain. A case study is presented in the island of Rhodes to obtain a renewable energy penetration higher than 70%. The technical and financial requirements for this implementation support the design of this system, while the introduction of concentrating solar power enables significant energy savings during the periods of peak demand of the island. An annual RES penetration close to 80% can be achieved with the combined operation of both plants. The economic viability of the required investment can be ensured with selling prices of the produced electricity in the range of 0.20 EUR/kWh.

Automated summary

Insular power systems, characterized by their unique land morphology, require dedicated designs to achieve higher renewable energy penetration. The island of Rhodes serves as a case study for implementing offshore wind turbines, concentrating solar power, and pumped-hydro storage to achieve high renewable energy penetration.