Optimization of power system with engine based hybrid solutions for the Saudi Arabia Smart Grid 2017

Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) prices have dropped tremendously over the last years as intermittent renewables, especially solar PV, has reached “grid parity” in many countries. In many cases this present power utilities and grid operators an enormous opportunity to reduce their production costs. However, their intermittent nature presents the utilities with a great challenge to integrate these energy sources reliably and cost effectively to their transmission systems. Different hybrid solutions, such as fast-starting, flexible internal combustion engine-based power plants coupled with an energy storage and/or with a solar PV plant, or standalone solar PV power plants coupled with an energy storage tackle the intermittency challenge. Combustion engines coupled with energy storage already gives highly attractive returns for the hybrid plant. Other solutions can either provide a firm, dispatchable renewable electricity supply source to the grid, or cost effectively manage increased spinning reserves requirement caused by the renewable's intermittency. This presentation analyses the merits of different hybrid solutions available, and presents a case study for assessing the financial feasibility a hybrid solution.