Microgrid Systems for Applications in Oman

The Sultanate of Oman is currently producing most (97.5%) of the electricity using natural gas. A recent report by the Oman Power and Water Procurement Co (OPWP) states that the Sultanate's annual electricity demand will increase at a rate of 8-10% over the coming years. By the end of 2030, the country is also committed to reduce the greenhouse gas emission by 2%. Furthermore, the new conventional power plant development not only requires the expansion of new transmission lines, substations and necessary protective systems but also requires the electricity providers to be dependent on fossil fuels and their volatile market prices. A study conducted by the Authority for Electricity Regulations (AER) indicates that there is a significant potential of using solar, wind and wave energy resources for the production of renewable power. The solar energy potential in Oman is such that the electricity production from this source can serve the country's power demand and will have significant export possibilities. A recent study on the wind energy potential in the country shows that there is a significant potential of using wind energy for the identified sites in Oman. Therefore, there is a need to develop a suitable and sustainable energy system using a combination of renewable and/or alternative energy resources.The purpose of this research is to develop microgrid systems using the available renewable/alternative energy sources for different applications including residential, campuses, hospitals, neighborhoods, military bases, industries, rural, and isolated communities in Oman. This study will investigate the microgrid structure either on-grid or off-grid based on analyzing the primary energy sources and load requirements for different sites or applications, and the suitable microgrid structure will be selected. One of the major challenges of identifying a suitable microgrid structure is the availability, intermittency and a great deal of variability in the nature of primary energy sources such as wind and solar for a particular site. Highly efficient, long term and high capacity energy storage is also required for uninterrupted power supply for the loads in case of a grid failure, blackout or for isolated area applications. This research will investigate the issues related to energy storage and identify the best suitable storage option for the selected microgrid structure to ensure uninterrupted power supply to the load. In addition, the operation and control strategies are required to develop for the reliable and stable operation of the microgrid system. This operation and control strategies need to be investigated using the dynamic modeling and simulation of the selected microgrid system. The investigators believe that this research will lead in the identification of suitable microgrid structure for different applications in Oman. This research will be useful for the users and the business stakeholders to select a system that can operate as a microgrid for a site or an application to ensure a reliable and stable power supply to the loads.