Challenge

Gibraltar is an island in energy terms, having no interconnection to mainland Spain, nor south to Morocco. Gibraltar’s Department of the Environment, Sustainability and Climate Change needed the means to assess its options in the transition away from expensive diesel-fired electricity to renewables, with the objectives of cheaper energy prices, reduced CO2 impact, improved local air quality, and maintaining energy resilience.

Services provided

NRP conducted a multi-criteria analysis of Gibraltar, encompassing i) opportunities for cost savings / new revenues; ii) spatial constraints; iii) grid capacity and operational constraints; and iv) local pollution control. We also built an hourly techno-economic model for the peninsula encompassing, capital and operating costs, and power purchase prices under a range of scenarios.

Outcome

Very clear benefits were revealed by the analysis, in terms of cheaper energy and socio-environmental benefits, relative to continued reliance on fossil fuels, providing clarity to HMGOG on its future energy options.