Analysis of the water-power nexus of the Balkan Peninsula power system

Power generation sector worldwide accounts for high water withdrawal and consumption due to the hydropower generation and cooling of thermal power plants. Hence, the operation of the power generation sector is constrained by the availability of the water resources, as well as the addition of constrains on water resources used for other purposes, such as irrigation, flood control, water supply, agriculture, etc. The optimal utilization of water resources between the water and energy sector is defined under the term water-energy (or water-power) nexus. This study describes the implementation of hydrological LISFLOOD, Medium-Term Hydrothermal Coordination (DispaSET-MTHC) and Unit Commitment and Dispatch (DispaSET UCD) models for detailed analysis of impacts on the SEE regional power system for three different hydrological years. Results were validated based on the available ENTSO-E data for the average hydrological (2015) year. Moreover, calculations on water withdrawal and consumption for cooling of thermal power plants were added. Addition of water stress index (WSI) calculations can determine locations that could experience water scarcity. The analysis covered EU Member states in Balkans and Western Balkan countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo , Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia.