Techno-economic and environmental assessment of a multi-storage hybrid renewable energy system for post-conflict urban electrification

Integrating renewable energy (RE) into power generation systems enhances sustainability by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening energy security, lowering operational costs, and promoting sustainable development, particularly in remote or underserved areas. This paper investigates the integration of RE into Mosul's power infrastructure through a hybrid renewable energy system (HRES) comprising the electrical grid, photovoltaic (PV) panels, pumped hydro energy storage (PHES), and an electrolyzer. Using HOMER Pro software, three system configurations were evaluated to optimize component sizing and assess techno-economic and environmental performance under the operating conditions of a hot semi-arid climate in northern Iraq. Among these configurations, the PV/grid/PHES/electrolyzer system demonstrated the best performance, achieving a renewable energy penetration of 254%. The proposed system results in a net present cost of $9.75 million and a levelized cost of energy of $0.06673/kWh. Despite modest reductions in operation and maintenance costs, the system demonstrates significant long-term economic efficiency when evaluated over its lifetime and projected revenues. From an environmental perspective, the proposed design achieves an annual reduction of approximately 18,089.31 tons of CO₂, corresponding to an estimated carbon credit value of $271.34 K, thus contributing to both sustainability and economic resilience. The findings confirm that the proposed HRES is a viable, cost-effective, and sustainable energy solution for Mosul and other regions with similar climatic and energy characteristics.