News
Shuai Yao, Modassar Chaudry
Cardiff University
HI-ACT is developing a set of Hydrogen and Alternative Liquid Fuels (HALF) Use Cases with WP1 “The Way Forward”. We are building on existing global and national research trial and demonstration projects, building Use Cases that look at specific situations in which HALF will be used and integrated. One such Use Case is looking at the South Wales Industrial Cluster. Working closely with one of our key stakeholders, Net Zero Industrial Wales, Dr Shuai Yao and Dr Modassar Chaudry are conducting research looking at the integration of hydrogen in a large regional cluster. This blog highlights some of their current work.
South Wales is the second biggest industrial and power emitter of carbon in the UK, with over 16m tonnes of CO2e per annum. The South Wales Industrial Cluster (SWIC) project brings together various disparate sectors in South Wales that are crucial for decarbonisation and the development of a hydrogen economy. The aim is to develop a world leading, truly sustainable industrial cluster, befitting the societal needs of 2030 and beyond.
Figure 1 illustrates that SWIC covers a large geographic area with various industries such as energy, oil refining, paper, nickel, chemicals, LNG imports, steel, and cement. Also highlighted are key areas for development which includes the production of hydrogen, transport and the capture and use of CO2.
Figure 1. South Wales Industrial Cluster (SWIC) map (South Wales Industrial Cluster (SWIC) https://www.swic.cymru/)
System modelling
South Wales and SWIC in general represent an ideal and high potential use-case for evaluating the impact of electrification on regional grids and the role of hydrogen. A model of the South Wales distribution networks will be developed, based on which the impact of electrification and the role of hydrogen will be quantified. This model and analysis will provide inputs for the whole-system, integrated planning and operation of electricity, gas, hydrogen, and district heating infrastructure to help reduce costs and support local regeneration.
Methodology
The South Wale DFES (Distribution Future Energy Scenarios) dataset will be firstly processed to project the electric demand at each PSS (Primary Substation) across three scenarios: Consumer Transformation, System Transformation, and Leading the Way, up to year 2050. At the same time, the rated capacity of each PSS will be extracted from the substation capacity map. By comparing the projected electric demand with the rated capacity of substations, the load factors of each PSS, along with their total required additional capacities to accommodate load growths across three scenarios, can be obtained. With the inclusion of economic parameters, the total cost of expanding the capacity of PSSs to meet the increasing demand can be further estimated.
The topology and parameters of the Swansea North BSP (Bulk Supply Point) will be extracted from the NGED (National Grid Electricity Distribution) LTDS (Long Term Development Statement) 2023 for the case study. Based on this information, a simulation model of the Swansea North BSP will be built with MATPOWER. This model, combined with the projected electric demand at each PSS, will be used to perform power flow analysis to identify violations in bus voltages and line loading across the system.
In the Consumer Transformation scenario, the net zero emissions target is achieved through a high level of electrification. Conversely, the System Transformation scenario features a lower level of electrification but higher engagement with hydrogen. The role of hydrogen in mitigating the impacts of electrification on regional distribution grids will be evaluated by comparing the outcomes in both scenarios.
Summary of upcoming work
The study will be used to evaluate the effects of increasing electrification in South Wales on regional power grids and will explore hydrogen’s potential role in mitigating these impacts, based on real-life data from the National Grid Electricity Distribution and the Distribution Future Energy Scenarios.
Power flow tools will be employed in the evaluation to analyse substation capacity shortage, network operational constraints including voltage and line loading violations, and the economic implications of upgrading the existing system to meet future demand growth.