TY - GEN
T1 - An optimization-based analysis of decarbonization pathways and flexibility requirements in the Chilean electric power system
AU - Verástegui, Felipe
AU - Villalobos, Cristian
AU - Lobos, Nicolás
AU - Lorca, Álvaro
AU - Negrete-Pincetic, Matías
AU - Olivares, Daniel
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019. The Authors. Published by International Solar Energy Society Selection and/or peer review under responsibility of Scientific Committee
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - Achieving global carbon neutrality within the first half of this century is required to limit the increase of global average temperature to 1.5oC, and thus to mitigate the effects of the ongoing climate crisis. Due to this, several countries have laid out decarbonization plans for the next few decades. In particular, a decarbonization schedule has been recently announced for the Chilean electric power system, which aims to entirely phase out coal generation by 2040. This implies a major change on the operational features and flexibility requirements of such system since coal still occupies a very large energy share of about 40%. This paper presents an assessment of various decarbonization pathways for the Chilean power system based on a generation and transmission expansion planning model specially enhanced to capture key flexibility aspects. This model employs the concept of representative days, an approximation of the unit commitment problem, a thorough modelling of the hydro network, and also thermal-based and battery-based energy storage. The results show that more strict decarbonization goals remain in a similar cost range as compared to the base case scenario, and for such scenarios the balance between variable and flexible attributes, including ramping, storage, and transmission capacity, becomes critical in earlier stages of the planning horizon. Based on this, a policy recommendation from this paper is that appropriate operational methods and market structures must be implemented to harness all the benefits of renewable and flexible energy in a reliable, sustainable and efficient way.
AB - Achieving global carbon neutrality within the first half of this century is required to limit the increase of global average temperature to 1.5oC, and thus to mitigate the effects of the ongoing climate crisis. Due to this, several countries have laid out decarbonization plans for the next few decades. In particular, a decarbonization schedule has been recently announced for the Chilean electric power system, which aims to entirely phase out coal generation by 2040. This implies a major change on the operational features and flexibility requirements of such system since coal still occupies a very large energy share of about 40%. This paper presents an assessment of various decarbonization pathways for the Chilean power system based on a generation and transmission expansion planning model specially enhanced to capture key flexibility aspects. This model employs the concept of representative days, an approximation of the unit commitment problem, a thorough modelling of the hydro network, and also thermal-based and battery-based energy storage. The results show that more strict decarbonization goals remain in a similar cost range as compared to the base case scenario, and for such scenarios the balance between variable and flexible attributes, including ramping, storage, and transmission capacity, becomes critical in earlier stages of the planning horizon. Based on this, a policy recommendation from this paper is that appropriate operational methods and market structures must be implemented to harness all the benefits of renewable and flexible energy in a reliable, sustainable and efficient way.
KW - Decarbonization
KW - Energy planning
KW - Flexibility
KW - Optimization
KW - Power systems
KW - Renewable energy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85086825182&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.18086/swc.2019.31.07
DO - 10.18086/swc.2019.31.07
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:85086825182
T3 - Proceedings of the ISES Solar World Congress 2019 and IEA SHC International Conference on Solar Heating and Cooling for Buildings and Industry 2019
SP - 1624
EP - 1635
BT - Proceedings of the ISES Solar World Congress 2019 and IEA SHC International Conference on Solar Heating and Cooling for Buildings and Industry 2019
A2 - Cardemil, Jose Miguel
A2 - Guthrie, Ken
A2 - Ruther, Ricardo
PB - International Solar Energy Society
T2 - ISES Solar World Congress 2019, SWC 2019 and IEA SHC International Conference on Solar Heating and Cooling for Buildings and Industry 2019, SHC 2019
Y2 - 4 November 2019 through 7 November 2019
ER -