Cost-benefit Comparison of Different Techniques for Addressing Wind Curtailment

Renewable generation is a key component in our generation mix to meet increasing electricity demand and decarburization targets. However, due to the constrained network capacity, a large volume of renewable generation is curtailed. There are typically three approaches to deal with excessive renewable: directly curtailed, reinforcing networks to expand transfer capacity, or converted into hydrogen to be transported. However, the costs and benefits of three approaches could vary significantly. This paper uses a 16 bus-bar UK network to analyze the performance of the three approaches. UK 2020 generation mix is used to quantify the saved energy from renewable and the triggered costs by using the approaches. The payback time and net present value (NPV) of the two investment techniques are also compared. From demonstration, it is reasonable to conclude that blending hydrogen from renewable is an environmentally friendly and cost-effective way to address wind curtailment.