Optimal Placement of a Combined Wind-Solar Farm Suppling a Railway Network in Morocco

This paper develops a methodology to determine the optimal location for a railway microgrid. This microgird is powered by a combined wind-solar farm and supply a Moroccan railway substation. The proposed approach analyze the solar and wind potential of the substation locations to determine the substations having the ability to deliver the maximum energy. In order to do it, existing weather data is utilized to calculate the average energy that can be generated in the substations. And for an optimal choice, Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) is used to evaluate and compare the different criteria. The results open the way to choose the appropriate substation to implement the microgrid and ensure that the energy supplied by the wind and the solar satisfies the energy needs of the substation. Besides, this study reveals that the integration of renewable energies in the Moroccan rail network ensures the reduction of the level of CO2 emissions for a high-potential substation by up to 76%.