Complementarity of electric vehicles and pumped-hydro as energy storage in small isolated energy systems: case of La Palma, Canary Islands

Isolated energy systems in archipelagos are characterized for having a great dependence on fossil sources due to isolation and territorial fragmentation. The island of La Palma is situated on the northwest of the Canary Islands, and its electric system is very small. Sustainability policies planned by local authorities are aimed to increase the share of renewable energies and the reduction of fossil energies. However, intermittence and the concentration of unmanageable renewable energies in few locations may hinder the operation of the system. In order to solve these problems, energy storage plays an essential role. The aim of this paper is to analyse the effects of the introduction of two possible alternatives as a way of energy storage: pumped hydro storage and electric vehicles. For this, we use a simulation model adapted to the features of La Palma, considering different scenarios. Results show that, in the most favourable scenario, the installation of an additional 25 MW from renewables (more than double the current power), supported by 20 MW of pumped hydro storage and a fleet of 3361 electric vehicles, would allow the current share of renewables to increase from 11% (in 2015) to 49%. Furthermore, this would mean a 26% reduction in CO2 emissions, 10% in costs of generated kWh and 19% in energy dependence.