Competitive Energy Research Articles

A two-stage optimal mechanism for managing energy and ancillary services markets in renewable-based transmission and distribution networks by participating electric vehicle and demand response aggregators

The growing uncertainties in power operations due to the integration of renewable generations (RGs) and electric vehicles (EVs) into electricity grids have amplified the significance of ancillary services (AS). These services have become essential to ensure the sustainable functioning of the grid. In light of this, we introduce a two-stage optimization framework to manage competitive energy and AS markets at the interface of the transmission system (TS) and distribution system (DS). Our approach takes into account a comprehensive set of economic, technical, and security factors. This mechanism is structured in two stages: the first stage encompasses the energy market, while the second stage encompasses AS markets. Spinning reserve (SR) is supplied by conventional thermal units (TUs), whereas regulation capacity is provided by energy storage systems (ESSs), fast-response generators, electric vehicles (EVs), and demand response (DR) aggregators. We applied this mechanism to a 30-bus transmission network connected to four 10-node DSs and utilized the GUROBI solver in GAMS for solving. The simulation results demonstrate that the engagement of DSs in the SR market reduces the reliance on costly TUs, thereby decreasing system costs by approximately 10%. Furthermore, involving ESSs, EVs, and DR aggregators in the regulation market enhances technical performance and results in a 6.91% reduction in total system costs. This approach provides a robust solution to the evolving challenges posed by RGs and EVs in modern electricity grids.

A novel array current collector design enabling high energy efficiency liquid metal batteries

Liquid metal battery (LMB) is one of the most competitive large-scale energy storage technologies due to its low-cost, long-lifespan, and high-safety. However, the low energy efficiency of the battery is currently one of the major challenges hindering its application process. The problem of poor wettability of the cathode liquid alloy is exacerbated by the design of the conventional planar structure of the positive collector. And the resulting interfacial mass transfer modes are inefficient. These lead to slow electrode reaction kinetics and large internal polarization. To address this issue, a novel array current collector suitable for LMB was designed here for the first time. The unique structure of the collector greatly increases the effective reaction area at the electrolyte/cathode and the contact area of the cathode/collector, providing more efficient nucleation and growth modes of the products as well as richer ionic mass-transfer channels, thus accelerating the electrode reaction kinetics. Benefiting from the application of the array current collector, the voltage efficiency of Li||Sb-Sn LMBs with a capacity of 20 Ah at 0.5C rate is increased by 4.8 %. Meanwhile, an average voltage efficiency of ∼ 94.7 % and an average energy efficiency of ∼ 92.2 % are achieved at 0.1C, which is the highest efficiency among the most promising LMB systems known to date. These encouraging results provide new directions for the design of high-performance LMBs and further promote the practical process of LMBs.

Three-Dimensional Vanadium and Nitrogen Dual-Doped Ti3C2 Film with Ultra-High Specific Capacitance and High Volumetric Energy Density for Zinc-Ion Hybrid Capacitors.

Zinc-ion hybrid capacitors (ZICs) can achieve high energy and power density, ultralong cycle life, and a wide operating voltage window, and they are widely used in wearable devices, portable electronics devices, and other energy storage fields. The design of advanced ZICs with high specific capacity and energy density remains a challenge. In this work, a novel kind of V, N dual-doped Ti3C2 film with a three-dimensional (3D) porous structure (3D V-, N-Ti3C2) based on Zn-ion pre-intercalation can be fabricated via a simple synthetic process. The stable 3D structure and heteroatom doping provide abundant ion transport channels and numerous surface active sites. The prepared 3D V-, N-Ti3C2 film can deliver unexpectedly high specific capacitance of 855 F g-1 (309 mAh g-1) and demonstrates 95.26% capacitance retention after 5000 charge/discharge cycles. In addition, the energy storage mechanism of 3D V-, N-Ti3C2 electrodes is the chemical adsorption of H+/Zn2+, which is confirmed by ex situ XRD and ex situ XPS. ZIC full cells with a competitive energy density (103 Wh kg-1) consist of a 3D V-, N-Ti3C2 cathode and a zinc foil anode. The impressive results provide a feasible strategy for developing high-performance MXene-based energy storage devices in various energy-related fields.

Construction of high-performance solid-state electrolytes for lithium metal batteries by UV-curing technology

With high energy density and high safety, all-solid-state lithium metal batteries (ASSLMBs) are considered the most competitive next-generation energy storage batteries. In this work, different formulations of PEGDA-based solid-state electrolytes were prepared by solution flow casting and UV-irradiated in situ polymerization. Polyethylene oxide (PEO) was introduced to solve the problem of improving the flexibility of the substrate, and a 1:5 mass ratio between them was determined. Inorganic ceramic filler Li1.25Al0.25Zr1.75(PO4)3 (LAZP) and plasticizer butanedinitrile (SCN) were introduced to improve the ionic conductivity (σ) of the electrolyte. The best performing PP15-30-SCN sample showed a 40-fold improvement in room temperature ionic conductivity over PEGDA and lithium ion mobility number of 0.43. The ASSLMBs were assembled with composite electrolytes and tested at 60 °C. The polarization of PP15-30-SCN was significantly reduced, and the battery cycled stably at current densities from 0.1 to 2 C, with an average discharge specific capacity of 111.78 mAh g−1 at 1C. The average specific capacity at 1C was 111.78 mAh g−1. Meanwhile, the capacity retention rate was more than 99% after more than 70 long cycles at 0.5C.

Synergizing hybrid renewable energy systems and sustainable agriculture for rural development in Nigeria

This research explores the viability and importance of implementing Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems (HRES) in Nigeria's agriculture sector. Despite progress, most rural regions still struggle with unreliable electricity. HRES provides a way to power agricultural endeavors while promoting sustainability, economic viability, and ecological conservation. A case study involving renewable energy applications for powering a typical Nigerian farm facility is also presented. Based on the review's findings, while 53.1 % of the journals analyzed were primarily concerned with community load, the agricultural sector received much less coverage, especially in rural areas. For the case study, solar PV dominates the HRES (98.3 %) electricity production, with biogas and wind turbines contributing the rest. The project costs $1,782,602 over 25 years, with competitive energy costs and a discounted payback time of 7.22 years. Environmentally, carbon dioxide emissions are negligible (16 kg/yr), and excess electricity production offers income potential for the farm facility. Overall, HRES is presented as an environmentally beneficial and cost-effective way to change rural farm operations, emphasizing the critical need to integrate energy and agriculture. Still, challenges such as inaccurate data, inadequate infrastructure, and inconsistent policy dynamics remain. In addition, the work highlights an area where more study is needed, namely the use of MCDM analysis for selecting the optimal energy system based on multiple criteria. Utilizing HRES in agriculture is consistent with the SDGs and will increase agricultural productivity, self-sufficiency, and environmental friendliness in Nigeria.

Multi-Objective Profit-Based Unit Commitment with Renewable Energy and Energy Storage Units Using a Modified Optimization Method

The unit commitment (UC) problem aims to reduce the power generation costs of power generation units in the traditional power system structure. However, under the current arrangement, the problem of cutting the cost of producing electricity has turned into an opportunity to boost power generation units’ profits. Emission concerns are now given considerable weight when talking about the performance planning of power generation units, in addition to economic objectives. Because emissions are viewed as a limitation rather than an objective function in the majority of recent research that has been published in the literature, this paper solves the multi-objective profit-based unit commitment (PBUC) problem while taking into account energy storage systems (ESSs) and renewable energy systems (RESs) in the presence of uncertainty sources, such as demand and energy prices, in order to minimize generated emissions and maximize profits by power generation units in the fiercely competitive energy market. Owing to the intricacy of the optimization problem, a novel mutation-based modified version of the shuffled frog leaping algorithm (SFLA) is suggested as a way to get around the PBUC problem’s difficulty. A 10-unit test system is used for the simulation, which is run for a whole day to demonstrate the effectiveness of the suggested approach. The proposed algorithm’s output is compared with the best-known approaches from various references. The simulated results generated by the suggested algorithms and the previously reported algorithms to solve the PBUC problem show that the proposed method is better than other evolutionary methods utilized in this study and prior investigations. For example, the overall profit from the suggested MSFLA is around 4% and 5.5% higher than that from other algorithms like the ICA and Muller methods in the presence and absence of reserve allocation, respectively. Furthermore, the MSFLA emissions value is approximately 2% and 8% lower than the optimum emissions values obtained using the PSO and ICA approaches, respectively.

Nanoengineering approach toward ultrahigh power factor Ag2Se/polyvinylpyrrolidone composite film for flexible thermoelectric generator

Flexible thermoelectric (TE) generators (F-TEGs), able to harvest heat energy from the human body, are considered to be competitive energy supply devices for wearable and implantable electronics. Herein, we fabricate Ag2Se/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) films on nylon membranes via a novel nanoengineering approach: First, small amount Ag nanoparticles decorated Ag2Se nanowires (NWs) coated with a nanolayer of PVP are synthesized via a Se NW template method, and the Ag nanoparticles react with small amount Se residues at the core of the Ag2Se NWs during hot-pressing and form Ag2Se nanograins rich in defects embedded in big Ag2Se grains. The Ag2Se nanograin has a different orientation from the big Ag2Se grain; hence, the interface between the Ag2Se nanograin and the big Ag2Se grain enhances the phonon scattering but almost does not affect the transport of carriers. An optimized film exhibits a maximum power factor of 2478 ± 67 μW m−1 K−2 (corresponding ZT ∼ 1.05) at 300 K, which is one of the highest values reported for flexible Ag2Se films. The excellent TE properties of the film are attributed to its unique microstructure: highly densified, coherent/semi-coherent Ag2Se grains, embedded Ag2Se nanograins, and a very small amount of PVP located at nanopores. Besides, the film shows good flexibility: after 1500 times bending along a rod with a radius of 4.0 mm, the electrical conductivity still maintains 90.9 %. Furthermore, a 6-leg F-TEG assembled with the optimal film generates a maximum power of 4.58 μW (corresponding power density of ∼ 31.2 W m−2) at a temperature gradient of 38.7 K. This work provides an efficient strategy for the fabrication of ultrahigh-performance Ag2Se-based flexible TE films.

Microporous Sulfur-Carbon Materials with Extended Sodium Storage Window.

Developing high-performance carbonaceous anode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) is still a grand quest for a more sustainable future of energy storage. Introducing sulfur within a carbon framework is one of the most promising attempts toward the development of highly efficient anode materials. Herein, a microporous sulfur-rich carbon anode obtained from a liquid sulfur-containing oligomer is introduced. The sodium storage mechanism shifts from surface-controlled to diffusion-controlled at higher synthesis temperatures. The different storage mechanisms and electrode performances are found to be independent of the bare electrode material's interplanar spacing. Therefore, these differences are attributed to an increased microporosity and a thiophene-rich chemical environment. The combination of these properties enables extending the plateau region to higher potential and achieving reversible overpotential sodium storage. Moreover, in-operando small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) reveals reversible electron density variations within the pore structure, in good agreement with the pore-filling sodium storage mechanism occurring in hard carbons (HCs). Eventually, the depicted framework will enable the design of high-performance anode materials for sodium-ion batteries with competitive energy density.

Vanadium Oxide Cathode Coinserted by Ni2+ and NH4+ for High-Performance Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries.

Vanadium-based oxides have garnered significant attention as cathode materials for aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) because of their high theoretical capacity and low cost. However, the limited reaction kinetics and poor long-term cycle stability hinder their widespread application. In this paper, we propose a novel approach by coinserting Ni2+ and NH4+ ions into V2O5·3H2O, i.e., NNVO. Structural characterization shows that the coinsertion of Ni2+ and NH4+ not only extends the interlayer spacing of V2O5·3H2O but also significantly promotes the transport kinetics of Zn2+ because of the synergistic "pillar" effect of Ni2+ and NH4+, as well as the increased oxygen vacancies that effectively lower the energy barrier for Zn2+ insertion. As a result, the AZIBs with an NNVO electrode exhibit a high capacity of 398.1 mAh g-1 (at 1.0 A g-1) and good cycle stability with 89.1% capacity retention even after 2000 cycles at 5.0 A g-1. At the same time, a highly competitive energy density of 262.9 Wh kg-1 is delivered at 382.9 W kg-1. Considering the simple scheme and the resultant high performance, this study may provide a positive attempt to develop high-performance AZIBs.

Eco-environmental scheduling of multi-energy communities in local electricity and natural gas markets considering carbon taxes: A decentralized bi-level strategy

Multi-energy communities (MEC) integrated with renewable resources are known as a cost-effective and highly efficient solution to meet the diverse energy needs of subscribers. The increasing integration of MECs with electricity and natural gas networks has made it necessary to design new frameworks to optimize their energy management and then facilitate their participation in competitive energy markets. Hence, this article presents a bi-level optimization strategy for the decentralized coordination of MECs in competitive electricity and gas markets, in which the system operator adopts a robust technique to deal with operational uncertainties. The daily planning of MECs is performed in the upper level, while in the lower level, the planning of electricity and natural gas networks takes place. An adaptive alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) algorithm has also been introduced to settle the electricity and natural gas markets in a decentralized space while considering the CO2 footprint tax. The proposed strategy is implemented on a system containing a modified 69-bus IEEE distribution electricity network (EN) and a 65-node natural gas network (NGN). The results obtained from the case studies show that the proposed adaptive ADMM algorithm reached the optimal point in 113 iterations less than the original version, reducing the solution time by 48.01 %. The results prove that the proposed strategy has been able to coordinate the decentralized MECs with the least data sharing in the competitive electricity and gas markets. Additionally, it effectively utilizes the capabilities of renewable-based assets, storage systems, and smart EV charging to reduce the CO2 footprint, alleviate congestion, and improve the voltage and gas pressure profiles, while leading to reduced market clearing prices.

COSTS BASED ON CONSUMPTION ACCOUNTING AND THEIR IMPACT ON ACHIEVING COMPETITIVE ENERGY

The increase in local and foreign competition and technological developments in the modern manufacturing environment, as well as the continuous changes in the cost structure, have made the current accounting system insufficient to deal with the operational operations of the Iraqi Ministry of Industry and Minerals. Implementing a new accounting system that analyzes the cost activities that add value and can be exploited has become necessary. It excludes or improves cost activities that do not add value and can be used to achieve sustainable competitive energy. It is a cost system based on consumption accounting that is the primary basis in building and developing the product with the lowest cost and best quality compared to competitors.

Understanding Flow Fouling Deposition and Solute Hideout-Return Behavior at the Phase Change Interface.

Nuclear energy is a competitive green energy, yet corrosion deposition and boron hideout on pressurized water reactor fuel cladding surfaces could cause localized corrosion and power shift, resulting in huge safety and economic risks. Alleviation of these problems requires the understanding of the corrosion deposition mechanism and related boron behavior. In this study, we explore corrosion product deposition in typical fuel assembly channels under subcooled boiling conditions and propose a boron hideout and return mechanism to explain the reason for the failure of the power reduction inhibiting a power shift. Porous corrosion depositions with the same morphology and thickness as the real depositions in a fuel cycle are obtained in a week via the accelerated deposition method simulating a real subcooled boiling and water chemical environment. Stronger subcooled boiling generates more bubbles, resulting in higher supersaturation of corrosion products at the gas-liquid interface. The corresponding precipitated stable crystals are smaller, and the formed deposition layer is looser and thicker with smaller particles. On the basis of the above characterizations, the effect of subcooled boiling, solute concentration, and water chemistry on the corrosion deposition mechanism is revealed. High-resolution characterization methods indicate that boron hides within the depositions mainly in the form of H3BO3 and Li2B4O7. The boron coolant concentration increases by 307.9 ppm after power reduction, confirming the return behavior of porous hidden boron. Hidden boron return behavior brings potential challenges for estimating critical conditions and plant response operations. The results of this study provide a precise method for understanding the corrosion product deposition and boron hideout-return behavior to further develop mitigation strategies for power shift and localized corrosion security issues.

Тенденции влияния «Группы семи/восьми» на глобальное климатическое управление

This article reviews the changing priorities and commitments of the Group of 7 (G7) and Group of 8 (G8) on climate change and energy security and highlights the trends of their influence on the global climate agenda. The main research method is content analysis of the groups’ documents adopted from 2005 to 2023. The study reveals that, at all stages of cooperation, the G7 endeavoured to secure commitments from emerging market and developing countries to increase their contributions to emissions reduction and accelerate the transition to a low carbon economy. As early as 2009, the advanced countries sought to prevent carbon leakages, regarding a comprehensive climate agreement in Copenhagen as a possible solution. The main principles, priorities, and tasks for attaining global energy security were defined in the 2006 leaders’ statement on global energy security and the St Petersburg action plan. The G7’s Rome and Hamburg initiatives on energy security, adopted after the G8’s suspension, in essence continued the course toward building competitive, diversified, sustainable, and low carbon energy systems, but without Russia. The new paradigm determined a different hierarchy of priorities: promotion of flexible gas markets, including more integrated liquified natural gas (LNG) markets, regulatory and public funding support of investment in energy infrastructure that cannot be built according to market rules, development of oil and natural gas resources from unconventional sources, and enhanced cooperation on critical infrastructure, transit routes, supply chains, and transport. This course was consolidated in subsequent years and entered a new stage in 2022. Since 2021, the G7 has been increasing efforts to renew the global rules and to shape new mechanisms and institutes of global climate governance. The establishment of the climate club, Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs), the Partnership for Global Infrastructure Investment (PGII), adoption of the principles of high integrity carbon markets, and the setting up of new engagement and containment platforms increase the risk of a fragmentation of the established climate governance system and its gradual substitution by a new order functioning in the interests of the G7 and its allies. In view of these risks it is necessary to deepen cooperation with the BRICS+ group led by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa and other emerging market and developing countries to coordinate and promote within the key multilateral institutions, including the United Nations (UN), the Group of 20 (G20), and the World Trade Organization (WTO), a concerted position on the inadmissibility of eroding the existing global climate governance system with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at its centre or the use of climate goals and regulation as protectionist and discriminative instruments, and to advance practical implementation of the principle of common but differential responsibility.

Exploring the potential and limits of digital tools for inclusive regulatory engagement with citizens

Over the past decade, independent regulatory agencies like competition authorities, water and energy regulators have increasingly turned to citizen engagement, including via digital channels. In this study, we seek to shed light on the potential and limits of economic regulators' digital engagement with citizens, compared to traditional, non-digital equivalents. More specifically, we analyse the costs and benefits of four prominent (digital) engagement tools in relation to inclusion, focusing on three key challenges for inclusive citizen engagement: (i) access, (ii) accessible information, and (iii) support in making contributions. Furthermore, we assess the technical, social, and organisational conditions under which the use of the tools can be more inclusive. We conclude that ‘turning digital’ has important advantages for inclusive regulatory engagement but is no panacea. Yet, whilst some challenges cannot be unilaterally tackled by regulators, there is considerable room for these organisations to raise the inclusiveness of their engagement, both by combining tools and modes of engagement, and by expanding their toolbox.

India's Odyssey to Sustainable Energy Triumph-Assessing the Impact of Access to Energy and Renewable Power in the Indian Electricity Sector

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to comprehensively examine the challenges hindering India's sustainable energy development, focusing on access to electricity, competition within the energy market, and the pivotal role of technology transfer and energy storage in overcoming growth hurdles. Theoretical Reference: The theoretical framework revolves around the intersection of Indian legislation and energy access, emphasising the significance of competition law in fostering a fair and inclusive energy landscape. The paper also draws on the theoretical foundations of technology transfer and energy storage as catalysts for sustainable growth in the renewable energy sector. Method: The methodology involves an in-depth analysis of India's renewable energy sector, exploring the impact of monopolies, anti-competitive practices, and the rapid expansion of solar power facilities. The study considers the role of competition law, technology transfer, and energy storage as key components in navigating the challenges of sustainable energy development. Result and Conclusion: The results underscore the interconnected nature of technology, energy storage, and competition legislation in India's energy revolution. The conclusion highlights public policy imperatives, emphasising demand-side management, resolution of contractual disputes, and the imperative need for efficient and cost-effective energy storage systems. The paper concludes with a call for a policy framework encouraging private sector participation and capacity building in the power sector. Implication of Research: The implications of this research extend to shaping public policy imperatives in the electricity sector, emphasising the need for demand-side management, resolution of disputes, and a policy framework to promote private sector participation. The research highlights the significance of these imperatives in developing efficient and cost-effective energy storage systems and achieving 'Round the Clock' renewable power. Originality/Value: The originality and value of this research lie in its comprehensive examination of the interconnected challenges and solutions in India's renewable energy sector. The findings contribute to the discourse on public policy imperatives, technology transfer, and competition law, offering insights that can guide policymakers, regulators, and businesses in fostering a competitive, sustainable, and resilient energy system. The study provides valuable guidance for maximising the benefits of renewable energy, ultimately contributing to increased energy access, sustainability, and economic growth in India.

Yohimbine Ingestion Mitigates Morning-Associated Decrements in High-Intensity Exercise Performance

Exercise performance tends to suffer during the morning compared to the evening, which may decrease potential training adaptations. Currently, it is unclear how nutritional interventions may affect this phenomenon and whether supplementation may allow for the attainment of optimal performance regardless of the time of day. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of acute yohimbine ingestion on morning-associated decrements in performance and psychophysiological responses to exercise. Physically active females (n = 16) were recruited to participate in three total visits, each with a different treatment: (1) placebo-morning (PL-AM), (2) yohimbine-morning (YHM-AM; oral 2.5 mg), and (3) placebo-afternoon (PM). The morning and afternoon visits occurred between 7:00–8:00 h and 16:00–17:00 h, respectively. The experimental treatments in the morning were ingested 20 min prior to capillary blood collection, which was completed pre- and post-exercise. Following a warm-up, participants completed a 2000 m time trial on a rowing ergometer. Power output, heart rate (HR), and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were recorded every minute. Time to competition (TTC) and subjective energy, focus, and alertness were documented post-exercise. Pre- and post-exercise blood lactate (La) and plasma hypoxanthine (HX) levels were also assessed. The trials were separated by a 48 h washout period. The results showed that power output (p = 0.010) was lower and TTC (p = 0.003) was significantly slower with PL-AM compared to PM. Furthermore, YHM-AM resulted in higher power output (p = 0.035) and faster TTC (p = 0.007) compared to PL-AM, with no differences compared to PM (p > 0.05). Post-exercise La was significantly lower with YHM-AM compared to PL-AM (p = 0.046) and PM (p = 0.001). Pre-exercise plasma HX, as measured via conversion to xanthine, was significantly higher with PM (p = 0.039), while the levels trended higher with YHM-AM (p = 0.060) compared to PL-AM. Subjective energy was higher with YHM-AM (p = 0.045) and PM (p = 0.009) compared to PL-AM, while alertness was only higher for YHM-AM compared to PL-AM (p = 0.045). No statistical differences between the treatments were found for RPE or HR (p > 0.05). These findings indicate that YHM ingestion attenuates performance decrements in the morning. Improvements in performance may be underpinned by improved feelings of energy and alterations in metabolism. Practically, YHM may represent an effective ergogenic aid to combat a lack of energy and low performance during the morning.

PEO/Li1.25Al0.25Zr1.75(PO4)3 composite solid electrolytes for high-rate and ultra-stable all-solid-state lithium metal batteries with impregnated cathode modification

All-solid-state lithium metal batteries (ASSLMBs) are considered the most competitive next-generation energy storage batteries due to their high energy density and high safety.

Nonzero-Sum Stochastic Impulse Games with an Application in Competitive Retail Energy Markets

We study a nonzero-sum stochastic differential game with both players adopting impulse controls, on a finite time horizon. The objective of each player is to maximize her total expected discounted profits. The resolution methodology relies on the connection between Nash equilibrium and the corresponding system of quasi-variational inequalities (QVIs in short). We prove, by means of the weak dynamic programming principle for the stochastic differential game, that the equilibrium expected payoff of each player is a constrained viscosity solution to the associated QVIs system in the class of linear growth functions. We also introduce a family of equilibrium expected payoffs converging to our equilibrium expected payoff of each player, and which is characterized as the unique constrained viscosity solutions of an approximation of our QVIs system. This convergence result is useful for numerical purpose. We apply a probabilistic numerical scheme which approximates the solution of the QVIs system to the case of the competition between two electricity retailers. We show how our model reproduces the qualitative behavior of electricity retail competition.

Концептуальні аспекти та принципи формування конкурентних ринків теплоенергії

Thermal energy should be considered as a commodity that has its own competitive market, where equilibrium is established in the plane of «supply and demand», so it is necessary to separate commercial (production and supply) and non-commercial (transmission and distribution) functions of heat supply, ensuring the development of fair competition between producers of heat energy and minimization of its costs for consumers. It is proposed to develop competition in the heat energy markets according to the single buyer model. Such a market will be managed by an independent system operator. It consists of a market operator – a single buyer who manages the trading platform, as well as performs the functions of an administrator of settlements between producers and consumers, and a transmission system operator who is responsible for the transmission, distribution and dispatching of heating networks. The peculiarity of heat energy markets is the impossibility of separating the wholesale and retail levels, so there is no need to allocate the supply function. Conceptual provisions for the formation of competitive heat energy markets are based on: 1) zonal delimitation with flow market relations; 2) centralized dispatching; 3) the embodiment of the market infrastructure by an independent system operator; 4) organized over-the-counter trading in the form of a price dialogue for small settlements without backbone networks and exchange trading in the form of heat auctions for medium and large settlements with backbone networks; 5) derivatives (annual), spot (monthly), and balancing segments of the market; 6) the uniform non-discriminatory pricing for consumers and declared pricing on the basis of benchmarking for producers; 7) annual baseload contracts, monthly peak load contracts, and balancing time contracts. The principles of formation of competitive heat energy markets are: transparency, openness, economic efficiency, fair access, competitiveness of producers, fair competition, price compromise, balance and reliability, decarbonization. The expected results of the opening of competition in the heat energy markets are: transparency of heat purchase and sale transactions; minimization of heat purchase prices by consumers; optimization of the utilization of heat-generating capacities of the heat and power system; promoting the development of highly efficient and low-carbon district heating. The latter is especially important from the point of view of restoring Ukraine's energy system after russian aggression, as priority should be given to independent heat producers who use renewable energy sources, have excess or waste thermal energy.

Plasma-induced nitrogen vacancy-mediated ammonia synthesis over a VN catalyst.

Plasma catalysis has recently been recognized as a promising route for artificial N2 reduction under mild conditions. Here we report a highly active VN catalyst for plasma-catalytic NH3 synthesis via the typical Mars-van Krevelen (MvK) mechanism. Our results indicate that NH3 synthesis occurs through the continuous regeneration and elimination of nitrogen vacancies on the VN surface. With this strategy, the VN catalyst achieves a superhigh NH3 yield of 143.2 mg h-1 gcat.-1 and a competitive energy efficiency of 1.43 gNH3 kW h-1.