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Economic assessment of batteries flexible support for systems with increased penetration of renewable electric energy sources: Croatian case

In recent years rapid increase in installed capacity of renewable electric energy sources can be noticed, especially in wind and solar power plants. It was possible due to rapid technology development and decrease in build cost supported by different subsidy schemes. Its renewable nature comes together with noticeable volatility and uncertainty and therefore they are called undispatchable power plants. In other words, they produce electricity when associated renewable energy source is available in contrast to fossil fueled power plants, that have storage of fuel, or hydro power plants with large enough reservoir and can be dispatched on demand. It is also uncertain how future increase of their installed capacity will evolve. Due to their volatility, they need some source and certain amount of flexible support. In this paper main source of flexibility is introduced by electric batteries. Recent development of batteries has shown rapid decline in their associated cost and therefore it is questionable to which value it will converge. Batteries can also save some amount of renewable energy that would be otherwise thrown away, because they can be charged when excess renewable energy exists and discharged when they are offline. In this paper several scenarios will be examined to assess economic feasibility of flexible battery systems. Scenarios assume different battery prices and different future penetration of renewable electric energy sources. Model is developed in PLEXOS software and is based on real life case - Croatian power system. It includes all existing power plants, and it also considers future retirements of existing power plants and building of new ones that are in plan. Main goal is to identify under which circumstances batteries are economic feasible source of flexible support for volatile renewable electric energy sources. Main economic indicator is levelized cost of energy for electric batteries in different scenarios.

flexible support ; renewable electric energy sources ; battery systems ; PLEXOS ; LCOE

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