الملخص الإنجليزي
The subject matter is consistent with the goals of Oman Vision 2040, which seeks to diminish
reliance on non-renewable resources and promote the use of clean resources such as renewable
energy to lower production costs and consequently boost the competitiveness of economic sectors.
Energy Storage System (ESS) solutions will play a dominate role in achieving this aim. Storing
energy is very beneficial specially with the availability of the renewable energies like solar energy.
The solar energy during the day can be stored during the low demand and utilized during the high
demand. Moreover, in spot markets, the excess energy in the grid will not be wasted. As it is
expected that the renewable energy sector in the world will achieve rapid growth and the current
trend towards implementing economic reforms so the regional energy storage system market will
be booming. Energy storage will help to reduce the cost of the electricity compared with the
conventional energy system within the upcoming years and will make some stability improvement
for the electrical network systems as well.
This thesis has focused on the technical and economic feasibility of the application of Pumped
Hydro Storage (PHS) in Oman’s main interconnected system (MIS). The study has been carried
out to achieve suitable selection of the PHS and location. The sizing and the preliminary design of
PHS has been determined. Finally, a simplified economic study has been carried out for the
proposed design.
The detailed examination of Oman's MIS revealed the emergence of a pronounced duck curve
effect, resulting from the mismatch between peak renewable generation during midday and peak
electricity demand in the early evening. This effect, along with the intermittent nature of solar
energy, highlighted the need for energy storage solutions to maintain grid stability and optimize
the utilization of renewable resources.
Through a comprehensive site identification and evaluation process, the study identified several
potential locations for PHS development in Oman, with Wadi Dhyqa 1 (A1) emerging as the most
suitable site based on the multi-criteria decision-making analysis. The preliminary design of the
PHS system, considering factors such as configuration, turbine selection, and storage system
components, further demonstrated the technical feasibility of implementing PHS in Oman.
The techno-economic analysis, which compared the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of PHS with
that of open-cycle gas turbine (OCGT) and combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plants,
revealed that PHS is a more cost-effective option, particularly when the OCGT and CCGT plants
operate at lower capacity factors or when fuel prices are high. This finding underscores the
economic viability of PHS as a long-term solution for managing the variability of renewable
energy sources in Oman's MIS.
