Hydro, wind and solar power as a base for a 100% renewable energy supply for South and Central America

Larissa de Souza Noel De Barbosa; Dmitrii Bogdanov; Pasi Vainikka; Christian Breyer

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0173820

Hydro, wind and solar power as a base for a 100% renewable energy supply for South and Central America

Larissa de Souza Noel De Barbosa, Dmitrii Bogdanov, Pasi Vainikka, Christian Breyer (Corresponding Author)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

144 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Power systems for South and Central America based on 100% renewable energy (RE) in the year 2030 were calculated for the first time using an hourly resolved energy model. The region was subdivided into 15 sub-regions. Four different scenarios were considered: three according to different high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission grid development levels (region, country, area-wide) and one integrated scenario that considers water desalination and industrial gas demand supplied by synthetic natural gas via power-to-gas (PtG). RE is not only able to cover 1813 TWh of estimated electricity demand of the area in 2030 but also able to generate the electricity needed to fulfil 3.9 billion m³ of water desalination and 640 TWh_LHV of synthetic natural gas demand. Existing hydro dams can be used as virtual batteries for solar and wind electricity storage, diminishing the role of storage technologies. The results for total levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) are decreased from 62 €/MWh for a highly decentralized to 56 €/MWh for a highly centralized grid scenario (currency value of the year 2015). For the integrated scenario, the levelized cost of gas (LCOG) and the levelized cost of water (LCOW) are 95 €/MWh_LHV and 0.91€/m³ , respectively. A reduction of 8% in total cost and 5% in electricity generation was achieved when integrating desalination and power-to-gas into the system.

Original language	English
Article number	e0173820
Number of pages	28
Journal	PLoS ONE
Volume	12
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0173820
Publication status	Published - 1 Mar 2017
MoE publication type	A1 Journal article-refereed

Keywords

Biomass
Central America
Costs and Cost Analysis
Electric Power Supplies/economics
Geothermal Energy/economics
Models, Theoretical
Natural Gas/economics
Power Plants/economics
Renewable Energy/economics
Solar Energy/economics
South America
Water Movements
Wind

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1371/journal.pone.0173820Licence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Hydro, wind and solar power as a base for a 100% renewable energy supply for South and Central America",

abstract = "Power systems for South and Central America based on 100% renewable energy (RE) in the year 2030 were calculated for the first time using an hourly resolved energy model. The region was subdivided into 15 sub-regions. Four different scenarios were considered: three according to different high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission grid development levels (region, country, area-wide) and one integrated scenario that considers water desalination and industrial gas demand supplied by synthetic natural gas via power-to-gas (PtG). RE is not only able to cover 1813 TWh of estimated electricity demand of the area in 2030 but also able to generate the electricity needed to fulfil 3.9 billion m3 of water desalination and 640 TWhLHV of synthetic natural gas demand. Existing hydro dams can be used as virtual batteries for solar and wind electricity storage, diminishing the role of storage technologies. The results for total levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) are decreased from 62 €/MWh for a highly decentralized to 56 €/MWh for a highly centralized grid scenario (currency value of the year 2015). For the integrated scenario, the levelized cost of gas (LCOG) and the levelized cost of water (LCOW) are 95 €/MWhLHV and 0.91€/m3 , respectively. A reduction of 8% in total cost and 5% in electricity generation was achieved when integrating desalination and power-to-gas into the system.",

keywords = "Biomass, Central America, Costs and Cost Analysis, Electric Power Supplies/economics, Geothermal Energy/economics, Models, Theoretical, Natural Gas/economics, Power Plants/economics, Renewable Energy/economics, Solar Energy/economics, South America, Water Movements, Wind",

author = "{De Barbosa}, {Larissa de Souza Noel} and Dmitrii Bogdanov and Pasi Vainikka and Christian Breyer",

note = "Public financing of Tekes (Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation) for the {\textquoteleft}Neo-Carbon Energy{\textquoteright} project under the number 40101/14; PhD scholarship from CNPq (Brazil Council for Scientific and Technological Development). The study was funded by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd. The funder provided support in the form of salaries for authors (LSNSB, DB, PV, CB), but did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The specific roles of these authors are articulated in the {\textquoteleft}author contributions{\textquoteright} section.",

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AU - De Barbosa, Larissa de Souza Noel

AU - Bogdanov, Dmitrii

AU - Vainikka, Pasi

AU - Breyer, Christian

N1 - Public financing of Tekes (Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation) for the ‘Neo-Carbon Energy’ project under the number 40101/14; PhD scholarship from CNPq (Brazil Council for Scientific and Technological Development). The study was funded by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd. The funder provided support in the form of salaries for authors (LSNSB, DB, PV, CB), but did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The specific roles of these authors are articulated in the ‘author contributions’ section.

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N2 - Power systems for South and Central America based on 100% renewable energy (RE) in the year 2030 were calculated for the first time using an hourly resolved energy model. The region was subdivided into 15 sub-regions. Four different scenarios were considered: three according to different high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission grid development levels (region, country, area-wide) and one integrated scenario that considers water desalination and industrial gas demand supplied by synthetic natural gas via power-to-gas (PtG). RE is not only able to cover 1813 TWh of estimated electricity demand of the area in 2030 but also able to generate the electricity needed to fulfil 3.9 billion m3 of water desalination and 640 TWhLHV of synthetic natural gas demand. Existing hydro dams can be used as virtual batteries for solar and wind electricity storage, diminishing the role of storage technologies. The results for total levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) are decreased from 62 €/MWh for a highly decentralized to 56 €/MWh for a highly centralized grid scenario (currency value of the year 2015). For the integrated scenario, the levelized cost of gas (LCOG) and the levelized cost of water (LCOW) are 95 €/MWhLHV and 0.91€/m3 , respectively. A reduction of 8% in total cost and 5% in electricity generation was achieved when integrating desalination and power-to-gas into the system.

AB - Power systems for South and Central America based on 100% renewable energy (RE) in the year 2030 were calculated for the first time using an hourly resolved energy model. The region was subdivided into 15 sub-regions. Four different scenarios were considered: three according to different high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission grid development levels (region, country, area-wide) and one integrated scenario that considers water desalination and industrial gas demand supplied by synthetic natural gas via power-to-gas (PtG). RE is not only able to cover 1813 TWh of estimated electricity demand of the area in 2030 but also able to generate the electricity needed to fulfil 3.9 billion m3 of water desalination and 640 TWhLHV of synthetic natural gas demand. Existing hydro dams can be used as virtual batteries for solar and wind electricity storage, diminishing the role of storage technologies. The results for total levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) are decreased from 62 €/MWh for a highly decentralized to 56 €/MWh for a highly centralized grid scenario (currency value of the year 2015). For the integrated scenario, the levelized cost of gas (LCOG) and the levelized cost of water (LCOW) are 95 €/MWhLHV and 0.91€/m3 , respectively. A reduction of 8% in total cost and 5% in electricity generation was achieved when integrating desalination and power-to-gas into the system.

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KW - Costs and Cost Analysis

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KW - Geothermal Energy/economics

KW - Models, Theoretical

KW - Natural Gas/economics

KW - Power Plants/economics

KW - Renewable Energy/economics

KW - Solar Energy/economics

KW - South America

KW - Water Movements

KW - Wind

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JF - PLoS ONE

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ER -

Hydro, wind and solar power as a base for a 100% renewable energy supply for South and Central America

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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Neo-Carbon Energy

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Hydro, wind and solar power as a base for a 100% renewable energy supply for South and Central America

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Projects

Neo-Carbon Energy

Cite this