Enhancement of demand supply’s security using power to gas technology in networked energy hubs

Abstract

Power to gas system is a new technology that enables integration of gas and electricity via an interface called electrolysis process. This system can produce methane by consuming electrical energy. These systems can inject limited volume of hydrogen to natural gas system directly, as well. On the other hand, security of networked energy hubs depends on contingencies which occur in main electrical lines or gas pipes and force the system to shed electrical or thermal load. This paper studies the role of power to gas unit presence on security and operation cost of networked energy hubs for the first time. This study shows that methanization capability of power to gas units can be so beneficial for system in hours which system’s main natural gas pipes have been lost by providing the lacked necessary natural gas energy. In addition, positive impact of power to gas on reducing the curtailment of wind based generation has been shown in this paper. In other words, proposed method brings out an alternative for provision of security of natural gas based thermal demands, using power to gas technology. The simulations which have been handled by GAMS software, validates the proposed method by illustrating the considerable decrement in operation cost of system which belongs directly to demand securities provision cost.