RESEARCH ON THE TEMPORAL COMPATIBILITY OF PS HPP OPERATION WITH HYDROLOGICAL AND MARKET CONDITIONS

The paper presents a methodology for investigation of temporal compatibility of pump storage hydroelectric power plants’ (PS HPP) operating modes with hydrological conditions, operation of renewable energy sources (RES) with variable electricity generation (V-RES), and market conditions. The sets of required input data are presented, as well as the method of their reduction, processing and mutual matching, and the method of calculating the proposed characteristic parameters. Based on the analysis of their values, it is possible to assess the degree of compatibility of both PS HPP operating modes with hydrological conditions, generation from V-RES and electricity prices. As a case study, the operation of the existing PS HPP „Bajina Bašta“ is considered and the procedure and results of the proposed methodology application are presented. A one-year historical period (calendar year 2023), without major repairs of this PS HPP and HPP „Bajina Bašta“ and without extreme seasonal hydrological conditions, is considered. The following input data were used: hourly data on electricity generation in the PS HPP and on the energy consumed in its pumping mode, data on generation from the wind farms then existing in the balance group of the Joint Stock Company „Elektroprivreda Srbije“ Belgrade (JSC EPS), relevant hydrological data, and data on realized hourly electricity prices on the „day-ahead“ SEEPEX and HUPX markets and on the intraday HUPX market. Based on the results obtained by applying this methodology to the existing PS HPP „Bajina Bašta“, this paper draws appropriate conclusions about the achieved degree of optimality of its operation during the period in consideration. The paper also indicates that the proposed methodology can be applied to the future PS HPP projects, with the prediction of hydrological conditions, generation from V-RES and with projections of market prices of electricity on the observed time horizon. In this way, the suitability of each possible PS HPP to the assumed physical, technical and market conditions could be assessed and, its techno-economic and financial viability could be further investigated from that point of view. In this regard, the paper announces the continuation of this research, by applying this methodology to PS HPP projects that are in the development phase or in the preparation of investment and technical documentation phase in JSC EPS, primarily to the current PS HPP project „Bistrica“.