Innovative Solar-Wind powered Aquaculture System: A Sustainable Solution for Aquaculture in Karbala, Iraq

Authors

  • Youssef Kassem Department of Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Faculty, Near East University, Cyprus | Energy, Environment, and Water Research Center, Near East University, Cyprus
  • Huseyin Gokcekus Department of Civil Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty, Near East University, Cyprus | Energy, Environment, and Water Research Center, Near East University, Cyprus
  • Huseyin Camur Department of Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Faculty, Near East University, Cyprus
  • Ghaith Abdalhaseeb Aal Alsakhni Department of Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Faculty, Near East University, Cyprus
Volume: 15 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 23649-23658 | June 2025 | https://doi.org/10.48084/etasr.10979

Received: 16 March 2025 | Revised: 14 April 2025 | Accepted: 19 April 2025 | Online: 4 June 2025


Corresponding author: Youssef Kassem

Abstract

The primary objective of this study is to present the Solar-Wind Powered Aquaculture Cooling and Energy System (SWPACES), which is capable of reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and the related negative environmental effects, while also reducing water evaporation. The SWPACES combines renewable energy (wind and solar) generation with sustainable aquaculture practices to generate vital power for aquaculture processes. The Husseiniyah River in Karbala, Iraq was selected as a case study. To this end, the MERRA-2 dataset, a reanalysis dataset provided by NASA, was utilized to analyze the wind and solar energy potential of the location. The results indicate that the chosen site has a higher solar energy potential than wind energy potential. Moreover, the economic viability analysis was assessed using the Net Present Value (NPV), payback period, Capacity Factor (CF), and Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) under various scenarios (Case I- (Hybrid) and Case II (PV)). The findings demonstrated positive NPV values across several sites, confirming the project's financial viability. Aquaculture farms could afford the project because the payback times ranged from 10 to 12 years, depending on the system architecture. The combined solar-wind system CF ranged from 16.90% to 17.82%. Additionally, the LCOE figures show that SWPACES are affordable, as they are comparable to the existing renewable energy systems. Consequently, the integration of SWPACES not only enhances aquaculture sustainability, but also contributes to the attainment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those concerning responsible consumption and affordable clean energy.

Keywords:

Iraq, aquaculture, hybrid renewable energy, Husseiniyah river, sustainable development goals

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

M. Crippa, E. Solazzo, D. Guizzardi, F. Monforti-Ferrario, F. N. Tubiello, and A. Leip, "Food systems are responsible for a third of global anthropogenic GHG emissions," Nature Food, vol. 2, no. 3, pp. 198–209, Mar. 2021.

R. E. Scroggins et al., "Renewable energy in fisheries and aquaculture: Case studies from the United States," Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 376, Nov. 2022, Art. no. 134153.

S. Namany, T. Al-Ansari, and R. Govindan, "Optimisation of the energy, water, and food nexus for food security scenarios," Computers & Chemical Engineering, vol. 129, Oct. 2019, Art. no. 106513.

R. W. R. Parker et al., "Fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions of world fisheries," Nature Climate Change, vol. 8, no. 4, pp. 333–337, Apr. 2018.

M. A. Clark et al., "Global food system emissions could preclude achieving the 1.5° and 2°C climate change targets," Science, vol. 370, no. 6517, pp. 705–708, Nov. 2020.

IRENA and FAO, Renewable energy for agri-food systems – Towards the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris agreement. Abu Dhabi and Rome: International Renewable Energy Agency and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2021.

Untapped potential for climate action: Renewable energy in Nationally Determined Contributions. Abu Dhabi: International Renewable Energy Agency, 2017.

FAO, The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022. Towards Blue Transformation. Rome, Italy: Food and Agriculture Organization.

M. J. MacLeod, M. R. Hasan, D. H. F. Robb, and M. Mamun-Ur-Rashid, "Quantifying greenhouse gas emissions from global aquaculture," Scientific Reports, vol. 10, no. 1, Jul. 2020, Art. no. 11679.

A. Tsakiridis, C. O’Donoghue, S. Hynes, and K. Kilcline, "A comparison of environmental and economic sustainability across seafood and livestock product value chains," Marine Policy, vol. 117, Jul. 2020, Art. no. 103968.

J. A. Gephart et al., "Environmental performance of blue foods," Nature, vol. 597, no. 7876, pp. 360–365, Sep. 2021.

M. M. Rahman, I. Khan, D. L. Field, K. Techato, and K. Alameh, "Powering agriculture: Present status, future potential, and challenges of renewable energy applications," Renewable Energy, vol. 188, pp. 731–749, Apr. 2022.

M. T. Niles et al., limate change and food systems: Assessing impacts and opportunities. Washington, DC: Meridian Institute, 2017.

H. H. Al-Kayiem and S. T. Mohammad, "Potential of Renewable Energy Resources with an Emphasis on Solar Power in Iraq: An Outlook," Resources, vol. 8, no. 1, Mar. 2019, Art. no. 42.

M. Harlıoğlu, S. O. M. Mustafa, and Z. Batool, "The Present Situation of the Fisheries Sector in Iraq: A Critical Review," Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Journal of Marine Sciences and Fisheries, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 70–75, Jul. 2023.

B. Govind, "Increasing the operational capability of a horizontal axis wind turbine by its integration with a vertical axis wind turbine," Applied Energy, vol. 199, pp. 479–494, Aug. 2017.

A. Rosato, A. Perrotta, and L. Maffei, "Commercial Small-Scale Horizontal and Vertical Wind Turbines: A Comprehensive Review of Geometry, Materials, Costs and Performance," Energies, vol. 17, no. 13, Jan. 2024, Art. no. 3125.

R. Kumar, K. Raahemifar, and A. S. Fung, "A critical review of vertical axis wind turbines for urban applications," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 89, pp. 281–291, Jun. 2018.

"RETScreen." Natural Resources Canada, [Online]. Available: https://natural-resources.canada.ca/maps-tools-publications/tools-applications/retscreen.

D. Weisser, "A wind energy analysis of Grenada: an estimation using the ‘Weibull’ density function," Renewable Energy, vol. 28, no. 11, pp. 1803–1812, Sep. 2003.

Y. Kassem, H. Gökçekuş, and W. Janbein, "Predictive model and assessment of the potential for wind and solar power in Rayak region, Lebanon," Modeling Earth Systems and Environment, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 1475–1502, Sep. 2021.

Y. Kassem, H. Camur, and T. Apreala, "Assessment of Wind Energy Potential for achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7 in the Rural Region of Jeje, Nigeria," Engineering, Technology & Applied Science Research, vol. 14, no. 4, pp. 14977–14987, Aug. 2024.

Y. Kassem, H. Çamur, and R. A. F. Aateg, "Exploring Solar and Wind Energy as a Power Generation Source for Solving the Electricity Crisis in Libya," Energies, vol. 13, no. 14, Jan. 2020, Art. no. 3708.

Y. Kassem, H. Gökçekuş, and R. Gökçekuş, "Towards Sustainable Energy Solutions: Evaluating the Impact of Floating PV Systems in Reducing Water Evaporation and Enhancing Energy Production in Northern Cyprus," Energies, vol. 17, no. 21, Jan. 2024, Art. no. 5300.

"Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA-2) dataset." Global Modeling and Assimilation Office, [Online]. Available: https://gmao.gsfc.nasa.gov/reanalysis/merra-2/

A. Allouhi et al., "Evaluation of wind energy potential in Morocco’s coastal regions," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 72, pp. 311–324, May 2017.

K. A. Adeyeye, N. Ijumba, and J. S. Colton, "A Techno-Economic Model for Wind Energy Costs Analysis for Low Wind Speed Areas," Processes, vol. 9, no. 8, Aug. 2021, Art. no. 1463.

M. A. Alsaad, "Wind energy potential in selected areas in Jordan," Energy Conversion and Management, vol. 65, pp. 704–708, Jan. 2013.

A. Ucar and F. Balo, "Investigation of wind characteristics and assessment of wind-generation potentiality in Uludağ-Bursa, Turkey," Applied Energy, vol. 86, no. 3, pp. 333–339, Mar. 2009.

H. D. Ammari, S. S. Al-Rwashdeh, and M. I. Al-Najideen, "Evaluation of wind energy potential and electricity generation at five locations in Jordan," Sustainable Cities and Society, vol. 15, pp. 135–143, Jul. 2015.

A. B. Owolabi, B. E. K. Nsafon, J. W. Roh, D. Suh, and J.-S. Huh, "Validating the techno-economic and environmental sustainability of solar PV technology in Nigeria using RETScreen Experts to assess its viability," Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments, vol. 36, Dec. 2019, Art. no. 100542.

K. Mohammadi, M. Naderi, and M. Saghafifar, "Economic feasibility of developing grid-connected photovoltaic plants in the southern coast of Iran," Energy, vol. 156, pp. 17–31, Aug. 2018.

A. A. Imam, Y. A. Al-Turki, and S. K. R., "Techno-Economic Feasibility Assessment of Grid-Connected PV Systems for Residential Buildings in Saudi Arabia—A Case Study," Sustainability, vol. 12, no. 1, Jan. 2020, Art. no. 262.

Y. Kassem and M. H. A. Abdalla, "Modeling predictive suitability to identify the potential of wind and solar energy as a driver of sustainable development in the Red Sea state, Sudan," Environmental Science and Pollution Research, vol. 29, no. 29, pp. 44233–44254, Jun. 2022.

Downloads

How to Cite

[1]
Kassem, Y., Gokcekus, H., Camur, H. and Alsakhni, G.A.A. 2025. Innovative Solar-Wind powered Aquaculture System: A Sustainable Solution for Aquaculture in Karbala, Iraq. Engineering, Technology & Applied Science Research. 15, 3 (Jun. 2025), 23649–23658. DOI:https://doi.org/10.48084/etasr.10979.

Metrics

Abstract Views: 42
PDF Downloads: 40

Metrics Information

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Youssef Kassem, Huseyin Gokcekus, Huseyin Camur, Ghaith Abdalhaseeb Aal Alsakhni

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

- Authors retain the copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) after its publication in ETASR with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.