Integrated electricity-heat-gas modelling and assessment, with applications to the Great Britain system. Part II: Transmission network analysis and low carbon technology and resilience case studies

Abstract

With the increasing interactions between the heat, electricity and gas sectors due to the introduction of low carbon heating technologies, there is a need for models to assess the inter-sector interactions at a network level. This paper presents a novel integrated electricity-heat-gas transmission network model that considers electrical and gas network flows coupled with the fuel requirements for the heating sector. The latter is modelled at a nodal network level and on a half-hourly basis, building upon the high-resolution temporal and spatial heat demand model presented in Part I. In particular, here the modelling is developed further to include an integrated heat-electricity-gas optimization to assess the operation of different heating technologies, and particularly hybrid ones. More specifically, DC power flow modelling is coupled with steady-state gas network energy and transportation cost optimization to assess gas-electricity price interactions, and with transient gas flow modelling for gas network operational studies. Numerical case studies are performed on the GB energy system, considering the evolution towards a low carbon future, the operation of hybrid dual-fuel electric heat pump/gas boiler technologies, and the ability to alleviate gas network constraints. Resilience case studies considering nodal gas price implications under gas network supply shocks are also considered. The results show how pathways to electrify heating and decarbonise the power sector can lead to a 75% reduction in carbon emissions of the heat and electricity sectors and that using hybrid heating technologies can reduce conventional generation peaks by 24%. Additionally, it is shown that exploiting gas demand response can provide an additional resilience option to the gas network.