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Impacts of Groundwater Constraints on Saudi Arabia’s Low-Carbon Electricity Supply Strategy

Abstract: 
"Balancing groundwater depletion, socioeconomic development and food security in Saudi Arabia will require policy that promotes expansion of unconventional freshwater supply options, such as wastewater recycling and desalination. As these processes consume more electricity than conventional freshwater supply technologies, Saudi Arabia’s electricity system is vulnerable to groundwater conservation policy. This paper examines strategies for adapting to long-term groundwater constraints in Saudi Arabia’s freshwater and electricity supply sectors with an integrated modeling framework". It was found that "Higher electricity demands under groundwater constraints reduce flexibility of supply side options in the electricity sector to limit carbon emissions, making it more expensive to fulfill climate sustainability objectives ".
Author: 
Simon C. Parkinson et.al
Institution: 
University of Victoria,Canada; International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Austria; King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia;
Year: 
2016
Region(s): 
Industry Focus: 
Energy
Country: 
Saudi Arabia
Datatype(s): 
Bibliographies & Reports
Indicators
Models