Analysis of impact factors in mechanical life cycle tests
The objective of the project is the analysis of data from different mechanical tests to determine the factors that significantly affect the useful life.
Funding sources
Project duration
- Start: June 2021
- End: September 2021
Analysis of security of supply of the Colombian power system under scenarios of high renewable penetration and energy storage
In this project we carry out an analysis of the security of supply of the Colombian power system considering scenarios of high renewable penetration and energy storage. In technical case studies we analyze the impact that renewable generation and energy storage operations have on optimal operations of the Colombian power system, and in particular, on the thermal plants Termobarranquilla and Termocandelaria.
Funding sources
- Termobaranquilla S.A, Termocandelaria
Project duration
- Start: May 2021
- End: December 2021
Roadmap for the national strategy for the production and use of hydrogen in Colombia
The objective of the project is to develop the roadmap for the implementation of hydrogen in Colombia. Among other tasks, it is necessary to evaluate the competitiveness of hydrogen in Colombia, calculate the internal demand and evaluate the regulatory enablers.
Funding sources
- Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID)
Project duration
- Start: April 2021
- End: September 2021
Assessment of the storage needs for the Spanish electric system in a horizon 2020-2050 with large share of renewables
This project assesses, from a technical and economic point of view, the daily, weekly and seasonal storage needs for the Spanish electricity system in the 2020-2050 horizon, considering the different storage technologies, as well as keys such as the flexibility of demand or hydroelectric availability.
Funding sources
- Instituto para la Diversificación y Ahorro de la Energía (IDAE)
Project duration
- Start: January 2021
- End: March 2021
European Research
The call intends to finance aid for the preparation of proposals for R + D + I projects in transnational collaboration led by Spanish research groups aimed at the calls for the European Union Research and Innovation Framework Program for the period 2014-2020 (H2020) and the period 2021-2027 (Horizon Europe).
Funding sources
Project duration
- Start: November 2020
- End: January 2022
The economic viability of storage technologies in the power sector of the future: an economic and environmental analysis
Energy storage technologies (and especially batteries) are bound to play a fundamental role in the transition to a decarbonized power system. It will be a key ingredient to integrate a high penetration of renewables and to provide flexibility and services to power and distribution system operators. Among these services is the provision of operating reserves or congestion management. However, under the current regulatory scheme the economic viability of these services is by no means guaranteed in the power system of the future.
The main objective of this project is: first, to quantify the social and environmental welfare generated by storage technologies in highly decarbonized power systems; second, to analyze which of the services are economically viable in a liberalized electricity sector; and finally, establish which are the regulatory measures most adequate to guarantee the economic viability of storage technologies thereby closing the gap between the technically possible and the economically viable.
Funding sources
Project duration
- Start: September 2020
- End: August 2021
State of the art of unit commitment models
In this project we review the state of the art of short-term operation models with two complementary focuses: i) the first one emphasizing the representation of the transmission network and ii) the second one the thermal units. The latest objective of this review is to allow the development of a single model for supportin the short-term operation including both perspectives.
The state of the art review will include not only an academic point of view but also the mathematical specification and the computer implementation in models suitable for being used in the daily operation of the Colombian system done by the Dispatch.
Funding sources
Project duration
- Start: June 2017
- End: June 2018
Generation expansion and renewable technologies
The objectives of the project include a strategic analysis in order to consider which factors among those that currently determine de Spanish and Portuguese electric system are the most relevant for generation expansion as well as the best way to address them, the continuous update of the methods that are currently used and the assistance in the usage of the models and tools that are active nowadays.
Funding sources
Project duration
- Start: January 2017
- End: December 2017
Strategic network and generation expansion planning under uncertainty in the electricity market
An an effort to mitigate climate change and to achieve a sustainable supply of energy, the Programa Estatal de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación Orientada a los Retos de la Sociedad – and in particular the Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación 2013-2016 – seeks to promote research and development (R&D) of renewable energy (RE) technologies and to foster their adoption by the market. The challenge to obtain “safe, efficient and clean energy”, declared by the Estrategia Española de Ciencia y Tecnología y de Innovación, is also in line with the the EU’s Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan). Indeed, given the deregulation of energy sectors, i.e., both electricity and natural gas, in most EU member states, power companies would adopt RE technologies only if they contributed to their profit-maximising incentives. Furthermore, since RE technologies like wind and solar power are typically intermittent and uncertain in their output and geographically dispersed, their viability will depend on integration with the existing transmission network. However, grid-expansion decisions are taken by separate entities with differing and even conflicting objectives, i.e., welfare-maximising regulated transmission system operators (TSOs). Most policy-enabling models of the EU energy system overlook these intricacies and are based on assumptions of either perfect competition or perfect foresight, which do not adequately reflect the current paradigm and, thus, may lead to flawed market designs. Consequently, in order for the Spanish Plan Estatal’s objectives to be achieved, policymakers and market participants alike will require an enhanced understanding of how market fundamentals and strategic behaviour interact. Towards that end, STEXEM will develop completely new models that will be better suited for the research challenge of uncovering the impact of policy measures and market designs on investment and operational decisions in deregulated industries. Moreover, STEXEM will carry out state-of-the-art analyses based on stochastic optimisation and game theory in order to provide insights on efficient market design, the sustainable integration of RE and storage technologies, and the transmission investment necessary to maintain system security.
Funding sources
- Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad
Project duration
- Start: December 2016
- End: December 2020
Medium-term electricity generation/transmission model for the Mexican electric energy system
Development of a medium-term electricity generation model for the Mexican electric energy system able to represent the transmission network (500-600 nodes). The model is to be used to forecast nodal electricity prices.
Funding sources
Project duration
- Start: February 2016
- End: January 2017
Generation capacity expansion studies
The main goal of this project is to extend the capabilities of Expande model in order to take into account when making investment decisions, both in thermal and in renewable technologies, technical details that arise in hourly operation. Besides, the model allows to include profitability and other strategic criteria.
Funding sources
Project duration
- Start: January 2016
- End: December 2016
Overall planning of generation capacity
In this project tasks to maximize the capabilities of the new estimation module renewable capacity were developed. Some parts of the algorithm that were heuristically computed, as the annual breakdown of the new investments are now more systematically. The new model also allows extensions to include performance criteria in calculating the expansion. Open tasks also are considered to adapt the model to the circumstances of the sector during 2015.
Funding sources
Project duration
- Start: January 2015
- End: December 2015
Long-term energy risk management: portfolio evaluation and optimization of strategies
The aim of this collaboration between IIT and Endsa is to continue the development of the ARIES tool for long-term risk management. Specifically, in this stage the adaptation of the tool to the user´s needs is addressed, as well as the implementation of improvements in the long-term time series module and in the electric market module.
Funding sources
Project duration
- Start: January 2015
- End: December 2015
Analysis of KAPSARC energy model
Collaboration with KAPSARC’s energy systems modeling team on the development of the KAPSARC Energy Model. This involves providing assistance and suggestions on various modeling issues, like the incorporation of intermittent sources of energy or the formulation of MPEC/EPEC problems.
Funding sources
Project duration
- Start: June 2014
- End: July 2014
Innomerics DOS - development of innovative modeling tools to increase the operating and economic efficiency of thermal generators
This proyect is a collaboration between the Universidad Pontificia Comillas, the Universidad de Cantabria and Innomerics under the RETOS program to develop innovative modeling tools to increase the operating and economic efficiency of thermal generators. Please see the Spanish description for further details.
Funding sources
- Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad
Project duration
- Start: February 2014
- End: December 2016
Generation capacity studies with high level of renewable energies penetration
This project deals with the analysis and improvement of algorithms and methods
used by Endsa for the preparation of its annual capacity plan and to
other studies associated with it. During 2013 the model Expande has been extEndd to work with multiple scenarios considering some stochastic input variables.
Project goals include continuous updating of the methods used to enhance and expand the capabilities of the models, adapt to ensure
regulatory changes expected to be presented in the coming months and assistance for the use of the tools. This proposal raises on the one hand tasks oriented to stochastic modeling and
on the other, tasks to refine the results obtained in the execution based of scenarios.
Funding sources
Project duration
- Start: January 2014
- End: December 2014
Development of a long-term energy risk management model
The objective of this project between IIT and Endsa is to continue the development of a tool which allows Endsa to meet the needs and requirements for the risk decision-making process in the long term (more than three years). In this second phase, the development of the simulation module of risk factors and the simulation module of the electricity market is carried out. Then, the results of both modules are used to perform a preliminary version of the profit calculation module.
Funding sources
Project duration
- Start: January 2014
- End: December 2014
Analysis of Central América regional electricity market mathematical algorithms
This project consists in reviewing and enhancing the algorithms that are currently used in the Central America regional electricity market in order to improve the representation both of the power plants technical constraints and of the different kinds of contracts considered by the market rules.
Funding sources
Project duration
- Start: October 2013
- End: March 2014
Short- medium-term risk management model
The objective of this project between IIT and Endsa is to perform a first phase to provide Endsa with a tool able to meet the needs and requirements for the risk decision-making process in the long term (more than three years). This first stage is to carry out the conceptual development and define the architecture of the tool.
Funding sources
Project duration
- Start: September 2013
- End: December 2013
Capacity studies under a new generation and demand structure framework
Joint work of IIT and Endsa about Strategic Analysis of Generation Capacity Expansion. The main objective is about analysis and improvement of the algorithms and study methods used by Endsa in order to elaborate its yearly expansion plan and other studies associated to it. The results of this work are two tools: EXPANDE (capacity expansion) and a tool (MERCO2) to estimate the price of CO2 emission allowances.
This year the objectives include the adaptation to a new demand structure with high penetration of renewable generation plants, introduce the new Spanish generation tax and the improvement of the interface.
Funding sources
Project duration
- Start: January 2013
- End: December 2013
Wind energy intermittency: from wind farm turbulence to economic management
This project represents an integrated educational and research program for graduate and postgraduate students and professors at the Johns Hopkins U., Texas Tech U., Smith College, U. of Puerto Rico and their international collaborators at the Danish Technical U. (DTU) and the Risø Laboratory in Denmark, ECN in the Netherlands, EPFL in Switzerland, Katholieke U. Leuven in Belgium and Universidad Pontificia Comillas in Spain.
The collaboration is aimed at analyzing research issues such as the introduction of multiple wind generators in the electrical system, origins of fluctuations, statistical characterization and propagation of variability and the economic and social implications of the design and operation of a source of sustainable generation. With hundreds of billions of dollars invested in renewable generation and the associated structure in the coming years, it is crucial to develop tools to manage the variability to make effective and sustainable but intermittent use of these resources. The research is coupled with a student training program that includes carefully designed international experiences.
Comillas collaborates in the training of students in research topics of integration of wind generation, and in particular developing different research projects focused on the integration of wind generation in electricity markets, from the analysis of short and long market rules term to the study of the expansion of the networks in markets of regional scope, in order to evaluate how to take advantage of the complementarities of the different technologies in a supranational (supra-state) scope.
Funding sources
Project duration
- Start: Novemeber 2012
- End: October 2017
Models for strategic analysis
Joint work of IIT and Endsa about Strategic Analysis of Generation Capacity Expansion. The main objective is about analysis and improvement of the algorithms and study methods used by Endsa in order to elaborate its yearly expansion plan and other studies associated to it. The results of this work are two tools EXPANDE capacity expansion) and a new tool (MERCO2) to estimate the price of CO2 emission allowances in under development. The objetives of the project include maintenance of the firts model the enhancement of the representation on non-electrical sectors in the second one.
Funding sources
Project duration
- Start: January 2012
- End: December 2012
Models for strategic analysis
This project is the continuation of a line of cooperation between IIT and Endsa about Strategic Analysis of Generation Capacity Expansion. The main work is about analysis and improvement of the algorithms and study methods used by Endsa in order to elaborate its yearly expansion plan and other studies associated to it. The result of this work is the tool EXPANDE. Aditionally a new tool (MERCO2) to estimate the price of CO2 emission allowances in under development.
Funding sources
Project duration
- Start: January 2011
- End: December 2011
Studies for generation planning with non-dispatchable generation
This project is the continuation of a line of cooperation between IIT and Endsa about Strategic Analysis of Generation Capacity Expansion. The main work is about analysis and improvement of the algorithms and study methods used by Endsa in order to elaborate its yearly expansion plan and other studies associated to it. The result of this work is the tool EXPANDE. In this collaboration focus will be on the new regulation about national coal plants and analizing the effect of wind generation plants in the system.
Funding sources
Project duration
- Start: January 2010
- End: December 2010
Generation capacity expansion in systems with non-dispatchable plants
This project is the continuation of a line of cooperation between IIT and Endsa about Strategic Analysis of Generation Capacity Expansion. The main work is about analysis and improvement of the algorithms and study methods used by Endsa in order to elaborate its yearly expansion plan and other studies associated to it. The result of this work is the tool EXPANDE. A convolution-based method will be used to study the effect of non-dispatchable energy.
Funding sources
Project duration
- Start: January 2009
- End: December 2009
