Systemic approach for techno-economic evaluation of triple hybrid (RO, MSF and power generation) scheme including accounting of CO2 emission

A system of models for the techno-economic evaluation of a triple hybrid, reverse osmosis (RO), multistage flush (MSF) and power generation process has been developed. There are three groups of models underlying the system: (A) models describing power-generating technology; (B) models describing RO desalination, and (C) models describing MSF desalination. Any group of individual models, in turn, consists of a set of submodels of different hierarchy levels; they are: (1) technological submodel, (2) fuel or energy submodel, (3) ecological submodel and (4) economic submodel. (1) The technological submodel is focused on the calculation of technological characteristics at different operating loads of the generating systems; (2) the fuel or energy submodel covers the calculation of fuel influx into power-generating systems at different operating loads; (3) the ecological submodel focuses on estimation of CO2 emissions at different operating regimes; (4) the economic submodel gives values of economic indicators, such as (a) cost of water, (b) cost of energy, and (c) accounting for CO2 emissions through imposed carbon tax (assuming rates of environmental taxes recommended by European Union tax legislation). This paper contains an analysis of the behavior of economic and ecological indicators for various technological parameters and economic assumptions, such as (1) load, specific fuel consumption and efficiency of the energy generating system, (2) specific energy consumption for desalination, (3) specific emissions of CO2, and (4) taxes on CO2 emissions. The model presented can be applied for the analysis of schemes where seasonal surplus of unused power is utilized by RO which are characterized by higher efficiency of fuel consumption and decreasing specific CO2 emissions.