Supply smoothing planning with integrated gasification combined cycle to address renewable fluctuations in small-scale grids

Abstract

Integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) technology is an efficient way to reduce CO2 emissions from fossil fuels, achieving lower emissions than liquid natural gas combined cycle (LNG-CC) plants. In this study, we examine the performance of an IGCC plant for smoothing network-frequency deviations in a stand-alone power-supply network with fluctuating renewable generation by developing a numerical model of the plant’s dynamic response to realistic load changes with meteorological conditions. The IGCC plant with added inertia from a flywheel is very effective for accommodating short-cycle fluctuations associated with photovoltaic generation, but it performs poorly with the long-cycle fluctuations associated with wind generation. The same numerical analysis was used to compare IGCC and LNG-CC plants in equal terms. The LNG-CC plant’s faster load response is more suited for interconnection with windfarms, although the IGCC emits about half as much CO2. Both technologies may prove useful for installation along with renewable generation capacity.