Seasonal Energy Storage Potential Assessment of WWTPs with Power-to-Methane Technology

Zoltán Csedő,Botond Sinóros-Szabó,Máté Zavarkó

doi:10.3390/en13184973

Zoltán Csedő, Botond Sinóros-Szabó + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/en13184973

Copy DOI

Journal: Energies	Publication Date: Sep 22, 2020
Citations: 16	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Corvinus University of Budapest

Abstract

Power-to-methane technology (P2M) deployment at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) for seasonal energy storage might land on the agenda of decision-makers across EU countries, since large WWTPs produce a notable volume of biogas that could be injected into the natural gas grid with remarkable storage capacities. Because of the recent rapid increase of local photovoltaics (PV), it is essential to explore the role of WWTPs in energy storage and the conditions under which this potential can be realized. This study integrates a techno-economic assessment of P2M technology with commercial/investment attractiveness of seasonal energy storage at large WWTPs. Findings show that a standardized 1 MWel P2M technology would fit with most potential sites. This is in line with the current technology readiness level of P2M, but increasing electricity prices and limited financial resources of WWTPs would decrease the commercial attractiveness of P2M technology deployment. Based on a Hungarian case study, public funding, biomethane feed-in tariff and minimized or compensated surplus electricity sourcing costs are essential to realize the energy storage potential at WWTPs.

Highlights

There is broad consensus within the power-to-gas (P2G) literature, especially in the power-tomethane (P2M) literature, as well as among industry actors that wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) could play a significant role in scaling up P2G technology by ensuring key input factors, mainly efficiently useable carbon-dioxide sources in the produced biogas [1]
Hungarian WWTPs; they point out the difference between this theoretical potential and the practical potential, which is calculated based on their empirical data collection
Storage potential is evaluated by taking WWTPs exceeding 100,000 PE

Summary

Introduction

There is broad consensus within the power-to-gas (P2G) literature, especially in the power-tomethane (P2M) literature, as well as among industry actors that wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) could play a significant role in scaling up P2G technology by ensuring key input factors, mainly efficiently useable carbon-dioxide sources in the produced biogas [1]. As the EU must significantly increase the PV installation rate to reach a carbon-neutral electricity supply by 2050 [4], and considering the integration challenges of the renewable energy to the grid [5], it is becoming a key priority for decision-makers to focus on concrete opportunities and limitations of seasonal energy storage that could be realized with P2M technology deployment at WWTPs. While the promising role of the P2G technology in the energy sector has been argued comprehensively in recent years (e.g., from the aspect of long-term energy storage [2], system analysis [6] or technological and economic factors [7]), researchers have started to focus on the role of WWTPs with respect to different aspects of renewable energy transition and power-to-X technologies. Gretzschel et al [9]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion