Energy Storage Benefits Assessment Using Multiple-Choice Criteria: The Case of Drini River Cascade, Albania

Abstract

Albania’s electricity sector lacks energy storage systems (ESS); hence, large quantities of electricity generated during the off-peak time, and excess electricity cannot be stored. On the other hand, the transmission capacity upgrades do not keep pace with the growth in peak electric demand; thus, congestion-related issues occur. Congestion of transmission lines has led to considerable uncertainties. Drin River cascade is located north of Albania. It possesses enormous potential energy that is not used due to a lack of ESS. Security of supply, rational use of renewable energy sources (RES), diversification of the electricity sector, increased competitiveness, sheltering more future RES capacities that can benefit from deferring investment in the existing transmission system, and environmental protection are some of these the main benefits of integrating ESS. Regarding the energy transition, the Albanian government’s endeavor aims to maintain and further develop a flexible, sustainable, secure, efficiently supplied, and affordable energy supply system. The results of the simulation executed by using ES-select software to produce multiple benefits from a single device from the chosen application’s list (App1–App6) showed that the most adequate ESS for storing excess electricity in the Drin River cascade are: compressed air energy storage (CAES-c), pumped hydro energy storage (PHES), and sodium-sulfur batteries (NaS). Integrating such systems in the central or bulk generation makes the circumvented cost in 10 years profitable; therefore, moving towards 2030, it would be extremely difficult to tackle the energy sector’s challenges alone, without integrating the ESS.