A framework for joint management of regional water-energy ... - Orbit

3 Case study: The Iberian Peninsula
The IP is a good study case to assess some of the components of the waterenergy
nexus, because:
There are strong interdependencies between water and energy systems.
Some of these interdependencies may be affected by climate change.
The hydrological and the power systems are shared between the two
countries, with small exchanges with other countries.
Figure 1 shows the major components of the hydrological system and the
power system of the IP. It is clear that most power generation plants are located
next to water bodies: hydropower in mountains and river valleys that
provide sufficient head, and thermal power next to rivers, lakes and the sea
that secure a steady source of cooling water. Transmission lines tend to follow
the rivers, possibly because power generation and human settlements —
the major centers of power consumption— are located next to water bodies.
In order to quantify some of the linkages between water and energy systems,
the proposed method is to couple a model of the water system with a model
Figure 1. Hydrological and power system of the IP. Only 400 kV
lines are shown. (MARM, 2012; SNIRH, 2012b; REE, 2013).
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