An optimization of hybrid renewable energy system for seawater desalination in Saudi Arabia

Renewable energy aids in lowering carbon dioxide emissions, addresses fuel price volatility, and ensures energy supply security. This paper optimizes hybrid renewable energy systems for powering a large-scale desalination plant in Jubail, Saudi Arabia. It also investigates the feasibility of using such systems to supply power for the desalination process. Several combinations of photovoltaic arrays, wind turbines, and grid systems are analyzed. The systems provide energy requirements for a reverse osmosis desalination plant with a daily capacity of 400,000 m³ and an energy demand of 2 kWh/m³. The HOMER simulation tool is employed to optimize the integrated systems. The considered systems are assessed based on the levelized cost of energy, greenhouse gas emissions, and net present cost. The findings revealed that the hybrid renewable energy system comprised of wind power and grid is the best option to supply the desalination plant at a levelized cost of energy of $ 0.056/kWh. Furthermore, this hybrid system resulted in the reduction of emissions of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxide by 108,797,452 kg/year, 471,685 kg/year, and 230,678 kg/year, respectively. The annual wind energy production is 119,852,133 kWh/year. On the other hand, the other integrated renewable energy systems, including photovoltaic-grid and photovoltaic-wind-grid, have levelized cost of energy of $0.0657/kWh and $0.0681/kWh, respectively. This study provides critical insights for stakeholders seeking to optimize hybrid renewable energy for desalination plants. The research emphasizes the significant potential of incorporating these systems into desalination plants to achieve environmentally friendly and economically viable desalination plants.