Improving the flexibility of coal-fired power generators: Impact on the composition of a cost-optimal electricity system

摘要

A transformation of the electricity generation system is required to drastically reduce the associated CO2 emissions. In future systems, variable renewable energy sources (wind and solar) are expected to provide a significant fraction of the electricity supply, increasing the requirement for variation management compared with today's situation. This paper investigates the impacts, of measures designed to increase the competitiveness of coal-fired power plants in future energy systems, which are facing restrictions related to CO2 emissions and variable operation as a consequence of high penetration levels of wind and solar power. We investigate the cost optimal compositions of three regional electricity generation systems with different conditions for generation using renewables with a linear cost-minimizing investment model. The model is applied in two energy policy scenarios: one with a tight cap on CO2 emissions, and one with a stringent requirement for generation from renewables.