The Innovative FlexPlan Grid-Planning Methodology: How Storage and Flexible Resources Could Help in De-Bottlenecking the European System

Gianluigi Migliavacca, Marco Rossi, Dario Siface, Matteo Marzoli, Hakan Ergun, Raúl Rodríguez-Sánchez, Maxime Hanot, Guillaume Leclerq, Nuno Amaro, Aleksandr Egorov, Jawana Gabrielski, Björn Matthes and Andrei Morch
Additional contact information
Gianluigi Migliavacca: RSE, via Rubattino 54, I-20134 Milano, Italy
Marco Rossi: RSE, via Rubattino 54, I-20134 Milano, Italy
Dario Siface: RSE, via Rubattino 54, I-20134 Milano, Italy
Matteo Marzoli: RSE, via Rubattino 54, I-20134 Milano, Italy
Hakan Ergun: KU Leuven/EnergyVille, Department of Electrical Engineering (ESAT), Kasteelpark Arenberg 10/2445, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
Raúl Rodríguez-Sánchez: TECNALIA, Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, Astondo Bidea, Edificio 700, E-48160 Derio, Spain
Maxime Hanot: N-SIDE, Boulevard Baudouin Ier, 25, B-1348 Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium
Guillaume Leclerq: N-SIDE, Boulevard Baudouin Ier, 25, B-1348 Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium
Nuno Amaro: R&D NESTER, Rua Cidade de Goa, nº 4-B-2685-039 Sacavém, Portugal
Aleksandr Egorov: R&D NESTER, Rua Cidade de Goa, nº 4-B-2685-039 Sacavém, Portugal
Jawana Gabrielski: Institute of Energy Systems, Energy Efficiency and Energy Economics, TU Dortmund University, Emil-Figge-Straße 70, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
Björn Matthes: Institute of Energy Systems, Energy Efficiency and Energy Economics, TU Dortmund University, Emil-Figge-Straße 70, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
Andrei Morch: SINTEF Energi, Sem Saelands vei 11, NO-7034 Trondheim, Norway

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 4, 1-28

Abstract: The FlexPlan Horizon2020 project aims at establishing a new grid-planning methodology which considers the opportunity to introduce new storage and flexibility resources in electricity transmission and distribution grids as an alternative to building new grid elements, in accordance with the intentions of the Clean Energy for all Europeans regulatory package of the European Commission. FlexPlan creates a new innovative grid-planning tool whose ambition is to go beyond the state of the art of planning methodologies by including the following innovative features: assessment of the best planning strategy by analysing in one shot a high number of candidate expansion options provided by a pre-processor tool, simultaneous mid- and long-term planning assessment over three grid years (2030, 2040, 2050), incorporation of a full range of cost–benefit analysis criteria into the target function, integrated transmission distribution planning, embedded environmental analysis (air quality, carbon footprint, landscape constraints), probabilistic contingency methodologies in replacement of the traditional N-1 criterion, application of numerical decomposition techniques to reduce calculation efforts and analysis of variability of yearly renewable energy sources (RES) and load time series through a Monte Carlo process. Six regional cases covering nearly the whole European continent are developed in order to cast a view on grid planning in Europe till 2050. FlexPlan will end up formulating guidelines for regulators and planning offices of system operators by indicating to what extent system flexibility can contribute to reducing overall system costs (operational + investment) yet maintaining current system security levels and which regulatory provisions could foster such process. This paper provides a complete description of the modelling features of the planning tool and pre-processor and provides the first results of their application in small-scale scenarios.

Keywords: grid planning; grid storage; grid flexibility; demand side management; RES integration; European scenarios; regulatory guidelines (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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