A techno-economic framework for optimizing multi-area power dispatch in microgrids with tie-line constraints

Fuel-fired power plants are the primary electricity sources in Saudi Arabia. This investigation aims to reduce the overall costs and emissions of electricity production from thermal units operated by the Shuqaiq Water and Electricity Company. It also considers practical thermoelectric constraints, such as power losses, ramp-rate constraints, and environmental optimization functions, to align with the sustainability goals of Saudi Vision 2030. Optimizing electric energy delivery is crucial within an energy control center. The focus of this work is to develop an advanced computational technique that reduces reliance on fossil fuels and minimizes the production cost of electricity, while also considering environmental emissions as an optimization function. An examination was conducted through two distinct practical case studies with power demand of 850 MW—one involving renewable sources and the other without—to assess the effectiveness of the hybrid crow search and JAYA optimization algorithm in optimizing performance. This system includes a multi-area setup with limitations on the tie-line power flow constraints. Additionally, the study also involved RETScreen modelling to assess the practical financial, emission, and benchmark analysis of a proposed integrated solar plant. This analyses offers a thorough assessment of the facility's performance and reliability in practical situations. This study serves as a motivating factor for energy operators, stakeholders, governmental organizations, and grid administrators to invest resources in environmentally-friendly initiatives. The simulation results showed that the proposed approach successfully reduced the electricity cost by 2.29% and 3.70% in hybrid energy networks while effectively handling the system constraints. In addition, the analysis revealed that the optimization algorithm effectively decreased toxic emissions from power plants while also supporting the sustainability objectives of United Nations SDG-7 and Saudi Vision 2030 through the successful integration of renewable sources.