Role of thermal technologies for enhancing flexibility in multi-energy systems through sector coupling: Technical suitability and expected developments

Abstract

Thermal power generation technologies are widely used for electricity production, for heat provision in district or process heating systems, and for combined heat and power generation. In most cases, thermal technologies are heat driven and electricity is produced as a by-product, thus resulting in a non-flexible behaviour of the electricity production. Modern power grids are characterised by an increasing share of renewable leading to a need for enhanced and flexible ways of controlling the power flow. To provide services to the power grid, thermal generating technologies may be used in a more efficient way, coupled to gas and heat storage systems or aggregated in virtual power plants. Several technical factors determine which technologies are suitable for flexibility provision, including power ranges, start up times and ramp rates. In this work, carried out in the frame of the MAGNITUDE H2020 project, the technical characteristics of thermal sector-coupling technologies were analysed using data from the seven real-life project's case studies. The technical suitability was determined based on the product requirements in selected European power markets for the provision of identified system services. Expected future developments and trends were highlighted well.