PhD Defense - Ilaria Sorrenti - Model-based planning and operation of Power-to-X for costs and carbon emissions assessment during the green transition in Denmark

#Power-to-X #RESintegration #PhDdefense

Power-to-X (PtX) refers to a group of energy conversion pathways for hydrogen-based multienergy carrier production that could be integrated into energy systems at various local, regional and national levels. When the “Power” comes from renewable sources, PtX becomes a critical
element to lead the energy transition for reaching global climate targets. In Denmark, several initiatives have been launched which use PtX as an integrated energy system approach to fulfill various techno-economic and social purposes. These early-stage trial-outs also aim to
contribute to understanding and identifying barriers regarding the effectiveness of the hydrogen-based PtX economy, such as how a low-carbon economy can compete with existing technologies and whether the Danish and European economic system will adapt to make PtX technology cost-effective.

Therefore, to clarify whether PtX related technology pathways can be carbon- and costefficient, this thesis aims to investigate the value of PtX in energy systems by applying state-of-the-art planning and operation methods to studying and assessing several selected PtX technology pathways, i.e. Power to H2 and Power to Methane, and identifying their role in decarbonisation.

Improved PtX mathematical models were developed in this PhD study to investigate the economic and carbon performance of Danish PtX actions with various scales and technology pathways, including GreenLabSkive, Energy Islands and Power-to-Methane. Using an optimal
planning and operation approach, the study provides insight into time-series-based performance, particularly the trade-off between cost and carbon emissions for selected PtX technology configurations, e.g. solar/wind grid-connected electrolyser, islanded offshore electrolyser, and grid-connected Power-to-Gas for methane and heat production. The ultimate goal is to investigate whether the considerable decarbonisation potential can justify the high costs and stakeholder efforts to incorporate Power-to-X.

The results demonstrate that PtX technologies embedded in the Danish energy system have the potential to contribute toward decarbonisation and achieve the 2050 carbon targets. However, boundary conditions such as energy prices, taxation systems and system configuration should be aligned to make PtX economically viable.