Abstract
In the Gauteng province of South Africa, the Gautrain railway link, a crucial transportation facility, has faced considerable energy-related difficulties. These difficulties include energy costs, demand, inefficiency, and non-resilience. A dependable power supply is essential to ensure the continuous operation of railway processes. The railway system, which has always relied on grid electricity to power trains, stations, lights, security, and operations, is facing increasing difficulties because of rising electricity demand and costs, and grid-related outages. To address these issues, this research investigates the creative use of blockchain technology and renewable solar energy to improve the sustainability and affordability of the Gautrain Railway Link. The use of solar energy as a renewable resource in combination with blockchain technology to optimise the power supply system of the Gautrain Railway Link is the subject of this research's in-depth study. The main goal of this study is to optimise power generation in a photovoltaic system with energy storage that is connected to the grid while lowering costs, satisfying energy demand, and utilising solar energy data. To optimise the incorporation of solar energy into the Gautrain electrical power system, the research makes use of the Advanced Interactive Multidimensional Modelling System (AIMMS) tool. The adoption of a blockchain-based smart contract that enables prosumers to swap energy seamlessly is a crucial component of the system's development. The smart contract, developed in Solidity for the Ethereum blockchain, makes it easier to register as a prosumer and conduct financial transactions for the production and trading of energy. The smart contract also includes the logic that compares energy output and consumption to determine energy surplus and deficit. Two parts are included in the analysis of blockchain technology between the Main Propulsion Substation (MPS) and the Autotransformer Parallel Substation (APS) – namely, MPS to APS1 and MPS to APS2. In these parts, this research investigates three different scenarios, which are as follows: Optimising the cost of the Gautrain Photovoltaic (PV) plants while incorporating blockchain technology, optimising the Gautrain PV energy generation while incorporating blockchain technology, and simultaneously optimising the Gautrain PV plant costs with the Gautrain PV electricity generation. The outcomes highlight the flexibility and effectiveness of the smart contract in enabling prosumer energy trade exchange by improving the Gautrain electrical power system efficiency. This research is special because it combines blockchain technology with renewable energy, applies a multi-objective optimisation strategy, implements smart contracts, and considers practical limitations. Taken as a whole, these components signify a pioneering effort to provide long-term, cost-effective solutions to the energy-related problems the Gautrain Railway Link faces.