IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/renene/v78y2015icp648-656.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A perspective on the potential role of renewable gas in a smart energy island system

Author

Listed:
  • Ahern, Eoin P.
  • Deane, Paul
  • Persson, Tobias
  • Ó Gallachóir, Brian
  • Murphy, Jerry D.

Abstract

This paper examines the potential role for Power to Gas (P2G) as applied to an island energy system with high levels of renewable electricity penetration. P2G systems require both a supply of green electricity and a source of CO2. Cheap electricity is essential for a financially sustainable P2G system. Using a PLEXOS model it was determined that deploying 50 MWe of P2G capacity on the 2030 Irish electrical grid may reduce absolute levels of curtailed wind by 5% compared to the base case. CO2 capture is expensive. The cheapest method of sourcing CO2 for a P2G system is to employ a methanation process whereby biogas from anaerobic digestion is mixed with hydrogen from surplus electricity. Anaerobic digestion in Ireland has a potential to produce biomethane to a level of 10.2% of energy in transport (19.2 PJ/a). The potential CO2 resource from anaerobic digestion could allow for a further 8.9% of energy in transport (16.6 PJ/a) from P2G production. An optimal model is proposed including for co-location of a biogas system with a P2G system. The model includes for demand-driven biogas concepts allowing electrical grid balancing and the supply of gaseous transportation fuel. Biofuel obligation certificates allows for a financially viable industry.

Suggested Citation

  • Ahern, Eoin P. & Deane, Paul & Persson, Tobias & Ó Gallachóir, Brian & Murphy, Jerry D., 2015. "A perspective on the potential role of renewable gas in a smart energy island system," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 648-656.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:78:y:2015:i:c:p:648-656
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2015.01.048
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S096014811500066X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.renene.2015.01.048?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Murphy, Jerry D. & Browne, James & Allen, Eoin & Gallagher, Cathal, 2013. "The resource of biomethane, produced via biological, thermal and electrical routes, as a transport biofuel," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 474-479.
    2. Calnan, P. & Deane, J.P. & Ó Gallachóir, B.P., 2013. "Modelling the impact of EVs on electricity generation, costs and CO2 emissions," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 230-237.
    3. Singh, Anoop & Smyth, Beatrice M. & Murphy, Jerry D., 2010. "A biofuel strategy for Ireland with an emphasis on production of biomethane and minimization of land-take," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 14(1), pages 277-288, January.
    4. Mc Garrigle, E.V. & Deane, J.P. & Leahy, P.G., 2013. "How much wind energy will be curtailed on the 2020 Irish power system?," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 544-553.
    5. Browne, James & Nizami, Abdul-Sattar & Thamsiriroj, T & Murphy, Jerry D., 2011. "Assessing the cost of biofuel production with increasing penetration of the transport fuel market: A case study of gaseous biomethane in Ireland," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 15(9), pages 4537-4547.
    6. Deane, J.P. & Ó Gallachóir, B.P. & McKeogh, E.J., 2010. "Techno-economic review of existing and new pumped hydro energy storage plant," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 14(4), pages 1293-1302, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Vo, Truc T.Q. & Xia, Ao & Wall, David M. & Murphy, Jerry D., 2017. "Use of surplus wind electricity in Ireland to produce compressed renewable gaseous transport fuel through biological power to gas systems," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 495-504.
    2. Padi, Richard Kingsley & Douglas, Sean & Murphy, Fionnuala, 2023. "Techno-economic potentials of integrating decentralised biomethane production systems into existing natural gas grids," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 283(C).
    3. Mulholland, Eamonn & O'Shea, Richard S.K. & Murphy, Jerry D. & Ó Gallachóir, Brian P., 2016. "Low carbon pathways for light goods vehicles in Ireland," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 53-62.
    4. Montingelli, M.E. & Benyounis, K.Y. & Quilty, B. & Stokes, J. & Olabi, A.G., 2017. "Influence of mechanical pretreatment and organic concentration of Irish brown seaweed for methane production," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 1079-1089.
    5. Montingelli, Maria E. & Benyounis, Khaled Y. & Quilty, Brid & Stokes, Joseph & Olabi, Abdul G., 2016. "Optimisation of biogas production from the macroalgae Laminaria sp. at different periods of harvesting in Ireland," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 177(C), pages 671-682.
    6. Gaffney, F. & Deane, J.P. & Gallachóir, B.P.Ó, 2017. "A 100 year review of electricity policy in Ireland (1916–2015)," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 67-79.
    7. Long, Aoife & Murphy, Jerry D., 2019. "Can green gas certificates allow for the accurate quantification of the energy supply and sustainability of biomethane from a range of sources for renewable heat and or transport?," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    8. Lund, Peter D. & Lindgren, Juuso & Mikkola, Jani & Salpakari, Jyri, 2015. "Review of energy system flexibility measures to enable high levels of variable renewable electricity," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 785-807.
    9. Vorushylo, I. & Keatley, P. & Hewitt, NJ, 2016. "Most promising flexible generators for the wind dominated market," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 564-575.
    10. Clancy, J.M. & Gaffney, F. & Deane, J.P. & Curtis, J. & Ó Gallachóir, B.P., 2015. "Fossil fuel and CO2 emissions savings on a high renewable electricity system – A single year case study for Ireland," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 151-164.
    11. Murphy, Jerry D. & Browne, James & Allen, Eoin & Gallagher, Cathal, 2013. "The resource of biomethane, produced via biological, thermal and electrical routes, as a transport biofuel," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 474-479.
    12. O'Shea, Richard & Wall, David M. & Kilgallon, Ian & Browne, James D. & Murphy, Jerry D., 2017. "Assessing the total theoretical, and financially viable, resource of biomethane for injection to a natural gas network in a region," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 188(C), pages 237-256.
    13. Keogh, Niamh & Corr, D. & Monaghan, R.F.D, 2022. "Biogenic renewable gas injection into natural gas grids: A review of technical and economic modelling studies," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    14. Egle Gusciute & Ger Devlin & Fionnuala Murphy & Kevin McDonnell, 2014. "Transport sector in Ireland: can 2020 national policy targets drive indigenous biofuel production to success?," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 3(3), pages 310-322, May.
    15. McDonagh, Shane & Wall, David M. & Deane, Paul & Murphy, Jerry D., 2019. "The effect of electricity markets, and renewable electricity penetration, on the levelised cost of energy of an advanced electro-fuel system incorporating carbon capture and utilisation," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 364-371.
    16. Zhu, Tong & Curtis, John & Clancy, Matthew, 2019. "Promoting agricultural biogas and biomethane production: Lessons from cross-country studies," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 1-1.
    17. Bharathiraja, B. & Jayamuthunagai, J. & Sudharsanaa, T. & Bharghavi, A. & Praveenkumar, R. & Chakravarthy, M. & Yuvaraj, D., 2017. "Biobutanol – An impending biofuel for future: A review on upstream and downstream processing tecniques," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 68(P1), pages 788-807.
    18. Nallapaneni Manoj Kumar & Aneesh A. Chand & Maria Malvoni & Kushal A. Prasad & Kabir A. Mamun & F.R. Islam & Shauhrat S. Chopra, 2020. "Distributed Energy Resources and the Application of AI, IoT, and Blockchain in Smart Grids," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-42, November.
    19. Ardizzon, G. & Cavazzini, G. & Pavesi, G., 2014. "A new generation of small hydro and pumped-hydro power plants: Advances and future challenges," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 746-761.
    20. Abolhosseini, Shahrouz & Heshmati, Almas & Altmann, Jörn, 2014. "A Review of Renewable Energy Supply and Energy Efficiency Technologies," IZA Discussion Papers 8145, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:78:y:2015:i:c:p:648-656. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/renewable-energy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.