ABSTRACT
The availability of energy is considered to be the primary prerequisite for any economic development in the countries of the Third World. This applies especially in the rural areas, where the shortage of energy leads to an uncontrolled exploitation of the natural sources of energy. Efficient and field-proven optimisation and simulation models have been developed to optimise the design and operation of supra-regional, thermic-oriented power supply systems. A verification of the optimisation model was carried out using the power system on the Caribbean island of Grenada, where the diesel based electricity supply system is to be extended by means of constructing small hydropower plants. A cost comparison between the existing diesel and the extended mixed hydro-thermal power supply system emphasizes the economic efficiency of the hydropower utilization on Grenada. As an alternative to hydropower and for peak load operating, every village was to be provided with an optional diesel power station with a design capacity covering the demand.
