Urban energy planning towards achieving an economically and environmentally optimized energy flow by 2050 based on different scenarios (a case study)

With the global population on the rise and the pressing challenges of energy crises and climate change, there is an ever-increasing need for innovative strategies to address these issues. Industrial cities play a pivotal role in these challenges, and prompt action is essential to mitigate their impacts. This research focuses on investigating Isfahan province, which serves as the industrial core of Iran and exhibits a substantial demand for electricity and natural gas. Currently, Iran relies solely on a national strategic energy plan for energy system development. This study aims to underscore the significance of formulating a comprehensive long-term urban energy plan tailored to regional resources. Such plans offer valuable insights to policymakers, aiding them in recognizing opportunities for energy system development and prioritizing infrastructure projects. To achieve this goal, an optimized energy planning process has been employed, targeting the reduction of both CO2 emissions and total costs in Isfahan by the year 2050. Key decision variables considered in this planning process include the sizing of solar plants, wind farms, biogas facilities, combined heat and power (CHP) plants, and the extent of district heating coverage. The excess heat generated by industrial processes is harnessed and distributed through the district heating network to support residential heating needs. The findings of this study reveal that an optimized strategy could result in substantial benefits. Specifically, it is projected that this strategy could lead to a reduction of 9 million metric tons of CO2 emissions compared to the basic strategy and save approximately 3.8 billion dollars in costs by 2050. Furthermore, the results emphasize that, despite being a relatively expensive solution, district heating has the potential to achieve significant savings in natural gas consumption.