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Jordan is a country faced with several environmental and energy related issues. It is the Worlds' fourth most water deprived country with a water consumption of only 145 m 3 per capita annually, less than a third of the established severe water poverty line. Jordan is also a country rich in wind and solar potential but practically no utilization with 99% of the produced electricity coming from imported fossil fuels resulting in high CO 2 emissions and a potential security of supply issue. The utilization of reverse osmosis desalination in a combination with brine operated pump storage units and wind and (PV) photovoltaic plants can tackle both issues. The desalination plants can produce the much needed water and act as a flexible demand to increase the penetration of intermittent renewables supported by the brine operated pump storage units. This paper presents six scenarios for the development of the Jordanian energy system until the year 2050. The results have shown that the demonstrated configuration can increase the share of intermittent renewables in the production of electricity up to 76% resulting in a high reduction of fuel consumption, CO 2 emissions and costs. These analyses have been performed using the EnergyPLAN advanced energy system analyses tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water resources are a crucial problem for a number of arid countries. One possible solution for this issue is the implementation of desalination but its utilization can greatly increase the demand for electricity. An important concept for a wide scale implementation of desalination is the integration of water and energy resources. Jordan is currently one of the most water deprived countries in the world. It is also a country very rich in renewable energy sources but almost no utilization of that potential. A combination of desalination, pump storage that utilize the produced brine and renewable energy sources could solve both issues. The desalination plants could produce enough water to ensure the supply for Jordan’s ever growing population while the use of wind and solar power could provide much needed electricity and reduce the need for imported fossil fuels as well as CO 2 emissions. The goal of this paper is to evaluate the impact of desalination in a combination with pump storage that utilizes the produced brine on the penetration of intermittent renewable energy sources in an energy system. The analysis has been conducted on a case study for the country of Jordan using the EnergyPLAN advanced energy system analyses tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]