Researchers have simulated the addition of PV plants and waste-to-energy systems in the Iraqi Al-Gharab region, that suffers from power cuts, and have identified the optimal size and locations for these hybrid plants, with the LCOE dropping by 7.7%.
A group of scientists from Iraq have investigated the use of a hybrid PV and waste-to-energy (WTE) system to support the grid in the country’s Al-Gharab region. This region pertains to scheduled power interruptions implemented during periods of high electricity demand, particularly in the summer.
The Al-Gharab distribution network contains 38 bus loads, with the total active power demand being 7.25 MW and the total reactive power being 5.18 Mvar. The system has a rated capacity of 10 MVA and a base voltage of 11 kV.
Aiming to support the network with PV and WTE, the group used the Open Distribution System Simulator (OpenDSS) software to determine the optimal placement and size of the distributed generators. They have also used municipal data about municipal solid waste and rice production to assess the capacity of a WTE based on incineration technology.
“Based on calculations of the energy recovery potential (ERP) from agricultural waste, mostly rice husks, and municipal solid waste (MSW), it is possible to adopt them as a source for electrical power to produce 3.7 MW throughout 24 hours,” the academics stated. “It means that this waste can be adapted to produce more than half peak power demand for the Al-Gharab region, which is 7.25 MW.”
According to the simulation results, the optimal location of the 3.7 MW WTE plant should be next to bus 1. In addition, the results show that three solar PV plants are needed to support the system: a 750 KW station at bus 22, a 300 KW plant at bus 28, and a 250 KW site at bus 16.
“The synchronization between the generation of solar PV plants and WTE caters to about 50% of the power demand in the Al-Gharab network throughout 24 hours, leading to a 50% reduction in the electricity needed from the national grid,” the team emphasized. “This leads to eliminating the issue of scheduled power interruptions during the period of peak load.”
In addition, the group found that the proposed distributed production enhances the Al-Gharab network performance by reducing the total active power losses by 77%, the total reactive power losses by 42%, and the total voltage deviation index by 87%.
The researchers also found that, with the hybrid system supporting the grid, the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) in the region is reduced to $0.0877/kWh, a drop of 7.7% compared to the regular system. The simple payback period for the addition of PV and WTE was calculated at 9.6 years.
The results of the research were presented in the paper “Integrating a solar PV power plants and waste-to-energy facility for stable power generation,” published in Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering. The group was formed by Scientists from Iraq’s University of Kerbala, Al-Zahraa University for Women, and the University of Technology.
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