Linking water and energy objectives in lowland areas through the application of model predictive control

Unlike mountainous areas, lowland areas have limited potential to generate energy from water flows. Instead, for water systems in lowland areas that continuously need to pump water out of the system, the focus should be set to saving energy in the present water management. This paper gives an introduction into possibilities to manage water systems in lowland areas in a sustainable manner. An example of an energy saving method is presented that is implemented by means of model predictive control on an actual physical large pumping station in The Netherlands.