Economic modeling of a seawater pumped-storage system in the context of São Miguel

The energy situation in remote islands is becoming critical with high fuel import costs preventing the islands from developing at a faster pace. Sao Miguel is an island located in the middle of the Atlantic with extensive renewable resources whose utilization is limited by low base load levels and lack of storage facilities. Using an economic optimization model, this work suggests using a seawater pumped-storage system to increase the penetration of renewable energy in the system. Several scenarios are analyzed and compare to determine the sensitivity of the solution and determine if it is a good option.