Framework for optimal management of hydroelectric reservoirs through pumped storage: Investigation of Acheloos-Thessaly and Aliakmon hydrosystems

In this study, a holistic approach for the optimal management of two large, multi-reservoir hydrosystems in Greece is analysed, applied in cases of multiple and conflicting water uses, such as hydroelectric production and the coverage of irrigation and drinking water demands. In general, the optimal management of such hydrosystems presents a strong challenge for engineers, due to the stochasticity of inflows and the non-linear nature of hydroelectric production. To manage the strong variability of renewable energy production, the use of the two studied cases of Acheloos-Thessaly and Aliakmonas as pump-storage systems is proposed. To explore the optimal management policies, the methodological framework of “Parameterisation-Simulation-Optimisation” (PSO) is applied, employed through the use of Hydronomeas software and its hydroelectric production optimization module. The goal of the analysis is the estimation of the capacity to generate firm energy with a preset high reliability level in both systems, as well as the assessment of the consequent economic benefit obtained with the optimal policies found through Hydronomeas. Moreover, the benefits of employing pump-storage schemes in order to provide a buffer for other renewable energy sources with strong variability, such as wind energy, is explored.