Scottish Islands Interconnections: Modelling the Impacts on the UK Electricity Network of Geographically Diverse Wind and Marine Energy

Chris Matthew and Catalina Spataru
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Chris Matthew: Energy Institute, Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
Catalina Spataru: Energy Institute, Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 11, 1-21

Abstract: To meet climate change goals, the decarbonisation of the UK electricity supply is crucial. Increased geographic diversity and resource use could help provide grid and market stability and reduce CO 2 intensive balancing actions. The main purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of geographic diversity and Scottish island renewable energy on the UK network. This has been done by using the energy market modelling software PLEXOS with results validated using data for 2017/18. The model considers spatial diversification and forecasting errors by modelling day-ahead and intra-day markets with nodes for each distribution network operator region and island group. It was concluded that Scottish island renewable capacity could have a stabilising effect on the variability of renewables in terms of electricity generated, prices and forecasting errors, from the timescale of the entire year down to hours. The ability of geographically diverse generators to receive a higher price for electricity generated was shown to decrease with increased island capacity. Instances of negative prices were reduced with supply diversity (wind and marine) but not geographic diversity. Day ahead errors showed most clearly the impact of diversity of supply, particularly given the predictability of tidal stream generation.

Keywords: energy supply diversity; geographic diversity; interconnections; islands; marine energy; renewable energy; power system stability; wind energy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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