Battery energy storage systems' integration in Baja California Sur, Mexico: A long-term electrical grid assessment

Abstract

This paper aims to assess the long-term integration of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) in Baja California Sur (BCS), Mexico. First, the electrical grid in BCS is parametrized and modeled to reproduce the actual operational conditions before evaluating long-term expansion scenarios. Eleven scenarios are modeled to assess the integration of BESS under different conditions, such as changes in the level of renewable penetration and restrictions on generation technologies deployment. Our results indicate that BESS in BCS reduce total systems costs and support the development of higher shares of renewable energy technologies across all modeled scenarios, but does not eliminate curtailment in the optimization of the operational strategies. In instances where large volumes of renewable energy deployment take place, up to 22 % can be curtailed, however this still leads to least-cost expansion, and with fewer emissions than with fossil-fuel based scenarios. Transmission expansion occurs in some scenarios, but it is limited to 480 MW total, which in other scenarios can be avoided via BESS investments. Based on the capacity and dispatch results of the different evaluated pathways, a set of recommendations for BCS system operators and decision-makers are provided.