Optimal coordination of renewable wind and pumped storage with thermal power generation for maximizing economic profit with considerations for environmental emission based on newly developed heuristic optimization algorithm

The integration of renewable wind and pumped storage with thermal power generation allows for dispatch of wind energy by generation companies (GENCOs) interested in participation in energy and ancillary services markets. However, to realize the maximum economic profit, optimal coordination and accounting for reduction in cost for environmental emission are essential. The goal of this study is to develop a simulation model for maximizing economic profit from coordination of renewable wind and pumped storage with thermal power generation for a GENCO with the participation in energy and ancillary services markets with considerations for environmental emission and uncertainty associated with wind power based on a newly developed heuristic optimization algorithm. The simulation results for validation of the heuristic optimization algorithm, as compared with those reported in the literature, show profit improvements of 8.58%–14.53% for uncoordinated and coordinated wind-pumped storage systems. It is determined that for a GENCO with 13 MW wind farm capacity and 1662 MW thermal units, for meeting an average demand of 1129 MW, the utilization of 120 MW pumped storage in a coordinated wind-pumped storage-thermal system results in reduction of environmental emission by 13.54%, which leads to an increase in profit by 2.10%, as compared with operation with no pumped storage unit.