Abstract
Water management and energy recovery can improve a system’s sustainability and efficiency in a cost-effective solution. This research assesses the renewable energy sources used in the water sector, as well as the related water sector performance indicators within Portuguese water management systems. A deep analysis of 432 water entities in Portugal, based on ERSAR data base, was conducted in order to identify factors to be improved regarding the system efficiency. On the other hand, the potential energy recovery developed in the REDAWN project was also used as a reference for the application of micro hydropower (MHP) solutions in the water sector. A water and energy nexus model was then developed to improve the systems efficiency and sustainability. A real case study in Africa, the Nampula water supply system, located in Mozambique, was selected as a promising potential for energy recovery. The application of a pump-as-turbine (PAT) allows the reduction in system costs and environmental impacts while increasing its efficiency. The proposed MHP has a capacity to generate ~23 MWh/year, providing significant savings. The developed economic analysis indicates the project is profitable, with an IRR ~40% depending on the energy selling price. This project can avoid the emission of more than 12 tCO2 to the atmosphere, and it can help to reduce the system’s real losses by more than 10,000 m3/year. Consequently, it creates a total economic benefit of 7604 EUR/year.
Highlights
Introduction published maps and institutional affilGlobal water demand has been rising by 1% per year since the 1980s and is expected to continue increasing at a similar rate until 2050, with the industrial and domestic sectors featuring the greatest contributions
Wind systems and photovoltaic systems are mostly applied for small-scale pumping, essentially systems and photovoltaic systems are mostly applied for small-scale essentially for irrigation and water supply in remote areas
ERSAR is organized, each line contains the name of By the country, entity, thethe hig water by networks andwhere in wastewater networks performance indicators (PI), its value and units, the type of systems and the tential for reduction is identified in Spain (13%), with and the lowest potential bein branch of activity of the entity, providing data related to approximately 200 performance in
Summary
The objective of this section is to present a methodology to demonstrate how good efficiency in Portugal water managers, where Águas de Portugal maintain connections among Mozambique entities, can improve, based on APREN Networks) studies and ERSAR (Regulator Entity for Water and Waste water Systems) data collection results and performance indicators, system efficiency in a huge number of water managers and respective outcomes This investigation culminates in a real case study in Africa, in a northern Mozambique water supply system, to show how the best energy recovery solution can be adopted, with significant improvements in terms of the Energies 2021, 14, 3525. This investigation culminates in a real case study in Africa, in a northern Mozambique water supply system, to show how the 3best of 18 energy recovery solution can be adopted, with significant improvements in terms of the effectiveness of the energy–water nexus, where these variables (i.e., water and energy) are scarce and of primary consumption needs.
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