Optimal Power Supply Strategy for a Near Shore Archipelago in NEOM

This paper presents the derivation of grid topologies for supplying power to a nearshore group of islands (archipelago) in NEOM, the world’s first cognitive and smart city under development in Saudi Arabia. This is achieved using an 'Energy System Capacity Expansion' model, which minimises total system costs by considering both capital and operational expenditures. By applying the boundary constraints of the topology generation methodology, four primary topologies were derived: a radial system, a meshed system, a hybrid system (combining radial and meshed topologies), and a topology incorporating a Medium Voltage DC (MVDC) backbone link. In addition to cost evaluation, all four topologies were assessed through power system studies to ensure they meet the necessary technical requirements…