Energy storage: UK viability of energy storage from renewable sources and energy re-introduction into the grid or as fuel for transport

0e2c0120-34ca-4301-8dd0-807cc6857403

Closed

EPSRC
EPSRC
EPSRC
EPSRC
EPSRC

No funds listed.

Sept. 30, 2015

March 31, 2019

The balancing of supply and demand for electricity is arguably harder now than it ever has been. This is because of rising demand and a drastic change in the supply mix of most networks. Conventional methods for planning how to manage this are reliant on dispatchable fossil fuel generators, particularly large power plants running at low capacity or diesel generators. The variability of renewable energy sources (RES) is unlike what the system has seen before and due to the emissions targets conventional planning methods and solutions are not applicable. Many decision makers given the substantial year-on-year challenges are turning to using current economics and technical analyses as ''tools to support predetermined technology choices''.

This research has the potential impact to better inform decision makers as to the strategic decisions that they should be making to practically enable high penetration RE in an electricity supply mix. Specifically it determines how the size and duration of storage required, to balance supply and demand, changes with multiple variables (such as RES penetration and demand side management).

The research proposal can easily be separated into three key deliverables:
1. Quantifying (having developed the methodology) the relationship between RES and storage requirement.
2. A model which determines the technical and economic optimal renewable energy (RE) supply and storage system to meet a given demand profile.
3. A dynamic model of the Haber-Bosch (HB) process with novel catalysts to facilitate quantification of the back-up required.

Deliverables 2 and 3 will then be combined to provide a methodology to determine the optimal RE supply and storage system, including the production of ammonia by the HB process using conventional and novel catalysts, for a demand profile of a micro-grid or smaller.

In facilitate quantification and understanding of the relationship between RES and storage requirement this we have set up the Storage Duration Index (SDI) to enable the quantification of the storage duration and size required. This novel methodology is enabling us to identify the impact that key variables have on the storage requirements. The SDI has shown that seasonal storage is potentially undervalued at present particularly with high PV penetration networks. Unlike previous investigations this will enable us from first principles, without initially distorting the problem with constraints such as technology characteristics or current economics, to determine the technical and economically optimal supply and storage system to meet a given demand profile.

This understanding (and model) will then be used practically to determine the economically optimal RE supply and storage system for any given demand profile.

In parallel with this work we plan to develop a dynamic model of ammonia production from RE, using the HB process with conventional and novel catalysts, for use as an energy vector. This will allow us to determine more accurately than previous steady-state analyses the backup required for ammonia production from RES. The modelling of novel catalysts would enable planning a proof-of-concept plant which is at present not feasible. There is potential for us to be able to validate this model on a proof-of-concept plant at Harwell using conventional HB production from wind.

Having completed these two work-streams we will be able to determine the technical and economic optimal supply-storage system (including ammonia as a storage method) for a given demand profile. To conclude if we constrain the model's storage method to only using ammonia we would be able to build a business plan and identify its key sensitivities.

This project falls within the EPSRC energy research area and more specifically the sub-theme of energy storage (while facilitating high penetration renewable energy grid integration).

My Siemens-EPSRC iCASE Award has allowed me to work closely with Siemens.