Energy storage, a condition when feeding the electrical grid from natural sources
Werner Leonhard
Institut fur Regelungstechnik, Technical University Braunschweig, Germany
W.Leonhard@tu-bs.de
Keywords
<<Wind power>>, <<Grid stability>>, <<Storage>>, <<Hydrogen>>, <<CO2 capture>>, <<Hydrogenation>>
Abstract
Sustainability by using regenerative sources is a longterm political goal, the reasons are the finite fossil resources
and the avoidance of toxic emissions and waste. Of the natural energy sources, wind energy is considered in Eu-
rope to offer best promise for contributing in the coming decades a substantial portion of the electrical supply. It
is discussed, how the environment-oriented policy in Germany of feeding with priority large quantities of subsi-
dized wind power into the supply affects the stability of the grid and whether it can substitute the dependance on
fossil and nuclear fuels. Generation of storable secondary energy carrters such as hydrogen for decoupling the
fluctuating supply and demand may be a preferable altemative. The possibility of processing the CO2 - emissions
of coal power stations with regenerative hydrogen, similar to natural photosynthesis, is briefly discussed.
Is the direct supply of wind power to the grid the best use of renewable energy?
When technical freaks began to feed a few kW of wind- and solar-power into the electrical grid, this was clearly
the simplest and least expensive method of using renewable energy, the small "negative consumer" load could
not affect the grid in any way. Nobody would have imagined that some day wind power might assume magnitu-
des to endanger the stability of a large interconnected power system, but this can no longer be excluded today.
Through massive subsidies with an attractive fixed compensation/kWh, combined with the privilege to feed with
priority undispatched power into the grid, a scheme for rapidly increasing the use of renewable energy, at the sa-
me time shielding it from competition, was created by Gernan law (EEG) in 2000. With new large converter de-
signs in the MW-range, potent investors took over from small companies and today, more than 22 000 MW of
wind generation capacity are connected to the German grid; it has become an important partner in the electricity
supply, feeding about 37 TWh/a of mainly undispatched power into the high voltage grid and becoming a serious
disturbance for the grid control, Fig. 1.
The usual control plants such as hydro- (4%
.............................................
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~~~~~~Dispatched..........thsseert gas-power stations (10%/con-
tn)/ and o -
----4-....
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grid is only about 7 %; the consequence was a heavy pressure for exporting power to neighbouring control zones.
The projected increase of wind power by another 20 to 25 GW from Off-shore plants in the next 20 years will
make it very difficult to always maintain the (n-1) stability criterion. Since the grid responds rapidly with emer- -
gency switchings, not only to lack of power but also to overload, breakdowns as in Nov. 2006 are likely.
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CAES
Fig. 4 Scheme of an electrical energy supply with hydrogen storage
-4 -
Of the different methods of CO2 - sequestration in coal power stations only the "Integrated Gasification Combi-
ned Cycle"-process (IGCC) is mentioned, whose large scale feasibility is established [7, 8]. It includes pressuri-
zed gasification of coal for producing synthetic gas which consists of CO and H2, similar to the Fischer-Tropsch-
process for liquifying coal. With suitable catalysts, high temperature and high pressure this is converted to H2 und
C02, to be separated, liquified and deposited, while the hydrogen is burned in combined cycle power stations
whose exhaust consists mainly of nitrogen from the air and water.
|
Suln < Separate
i \ electrical lines, Stage
Fluctuatingcpower
ea p s;ya. e.
..ti.on;
g S
Water ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Synth-etic
~~ ~
Hydro- ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 02+fuel
Bi02Option 1 M
HIydrogenation of the chemically very stable CO2 with low free-energy calls for suitable catalysts, high pressure
and temperatuDre as with the Fischer-Tropsch-process for liquifying coal. Hence electrolysis, C02- capture and hy-
drogenation would have to be parts of an integrated technological process calling for extended research.
-5-
To avoid energy losses, hydrogen storage and C02- reprocessing might be applied only to the part of the rene-
wable power that otherwise could endanger the stability of the electrical grid; several options are indicated:
Option 1, presently used, allows only a limited power fed to the grid to avoid instability, while Option 2 invol-
ves hydrogen storage, without or with C02- capture and deposition. Only Option 3 includes C02- capture as
well as hydrogenation. The options may be used separately or in combination, allowing room for optimization
with regard to grid stability, energy storage or the C02- volume processed.
A major expansion of energy generation with off-shore wind- and solar converters is conditional to CO2 - pro-
cessing, but this is believed to be necessary anyway for climatic reasons. However, just continuing our present
policies of feeding more and more fluctuating power into the electrical grid would miss both objectives, a sustai-
nable energy supply as well as a stable electrical grid.
Conclusions
Hydrogenation of CO2 - emisssions from fossil power stations with regenerative hydrogen would affect our pre-
sent environmental and energy policies:
- Fluctuations of renewable power are separated from the eletrical grid and no longer endanger its stability.
- Inversely, the massive increase of renewable power, believed to be necessary for climatic reasons, is not
limited by the grid, in fact it is made possible by the separation.
- With existing storage facilities for natural gas, hydrogen storage allows to bridge calm periods.
- The planned North/South grid extensions for transporting large Off-shore wind power during a few days
of the year are unnecessary.
- CO2 - emissions from fossil power stations are converted to new synthetic fuel and recycled,
instead of being released to the atmosphere or accumulated in underground deposits.
- Coal power stations would have a future perspective for some decades wihout a possibly dangerous
accumulation of CO2 - deposits.
- The chemical and process industry would have an important new goal for applying their technological
advances in the century after Haber-Bosch and Fischer-Tropsch.
With a long term research program of this kind there are no "losers" and consensus could return to the energy
discussion instead of short term politics and acrimony. Even the "nuclear issue" might be mitigated when post-
poning the "nuclear exit" until the feasibility of CO2 -hydrogenation is established.
References
[1] Leonhard, W., Wenzel, A.: Flauten, Orkane und eine verfehlte Energiepolitik - wie soll das elektrische Netz das richten?
ew, 2007, Heft 7, S. 52-57
[2] Leonhard, W.: Energiespeicher fir eine nachhaltige und zuverlhssige Energieversorgung, ew, 2007, Heft 19, S. 26-30
[3] Leonhard:, W.: (Unanswered) Open letters on energy issues, <www.ifr.ing.tu-bs.de>
[4] Schulien, S.: Windenergie im deutschen Gasnetz, AGAFE-Mitteilungen, 2004, Hfte 2
[5] Stromspeicher zur Integrationl emeuerbarer Energie, VDE-Bericht, 2008
[6] Wasserstoff. Nachhaltige Energie - stationir, mobil. Zukunfisenergien. <www.energieland.nrw.de>
[7] JGCC-Kraftwerk mit CO2 - Endlagerung im Grol3mal3stab realisierbar, Broschtire der RWEB-AG.
[8] Vortmeyer, N.: Verbrennung mit Mehrwert, Puertollano. Siemens-Sonderverdffentlichung Klimawandel, FAZ 12/2007
[9] Statoil Sleipner Project, <www.statoil.com>
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