Marginal Cost of Energy Volatility in the Brazilian Interconnected Power System

From 2018 to 2022, on average, 70% of the Brazilian effective electric generation was produced by hydropower, 10% by wind power, and 20% by thermal power plants. Over the last five years, Brazil suffered from a series of severe droughts. As a result, hydropower generation was reduced, but demand growth was also declined as results of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic recession. From 2012 to 2022, the Brazilian reservoir system operated with, on average, only 40% of the active storage, but storage recovered to normal levels in the first three months of 2022. Despite large capacity of storage reservoirs, high volatility of the marginal cost of energy was observed in recent years. In this paper, we used two optimization models, NEWAVE and HIDROTERM for our study. These two models were previously developed for mid-range planning of the operation of the Brazilian interconnected power system. We used these two models to optimize the operation and compared the results with observed operational records for the period of 2018-2022. NEWAVE is a stochastic dual dynamic programming model which aggregates the system into four subsystems and 12 equivalent reservoirs. HIDROTERM is a nonlinear programming model that considers each of the 167 individual hydropower plants of the system. The main purposes of the comparison are to assess cooperation opportunities with the use of both models and better understand the impacts of increasing uncertainties, seasonality of inflows and winds, demand forecasts, decisions about storage in reservoirs, and thermal production on energy prices. © World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2023.All rights reserved

A Modified Bottom Up Approach to Estimate Expected Demand Reduction During a Rare Event

Indian power system witnessed its largest very short-time demand ramping during light off event conducted to express solidarity with COVID-19 volunteers. 32 GW demand ramping was observed within 25 minutes and recorded as the highest ramping event across the globe. System operator has taken precautions and successfully handled the event with the help of hydro generation. However, system experienced severe frequency and voltage deviations due to unexpected consumer behaviour. A systematic study and an in-depth analysis of such a severe event would help system operators and planners to prepare for similar events. This paper presents a critical analysis of the activity and conducted a survey to understand consumer response during that event. It also proposes a modified Bottom-Up Approach to estimate Expected Demand Reduction (EDR) for such critical events. Proposed model is validated using data collected from the conducted survey. Proposed EDR estimation model offers better results than the Top Down and Bottom-up approach models used by system operator. © 2022 IEEE.

Challenge of Supplying Power with Renewable Energy Due to the Impact of COVID-19 on Power Demands in the Lao PDR: Analysis Using Metaheuristic Optimization

Human activities have been limited by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and the normal conditions of our lifestyles have changed, particularly in terms of electricity usage. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the power sector in the Lao PDR in 2020, as well as the challenge of using solar energy to supply power to the network using an optimal approach. The returns on investment of network extension and the purchase of solar energy were also evaluated. Furthermore, load conditions caused by the country's lockdown policy were analyzed. We analyzed the optimal sizing and location of solar energy using a particle swarm optimization method based on the main objective functions, with the system's power loss decreasing and its reliability improved. The results demonstrated that the suddenly reduced load from industry and commercial business did not have a large impact on its operations;however, revenue was reduced. The optimal method for connecting solar energy to a network can reduce power loss and improve system reliability. In addition, we discovered that the location and capacity of solar generation can reduce the investment costs of extensions for new lines, with the surplus power being exported.

An Evaluation of ASEAN Renewable Energy Path to Carbon Neutrality

Maintaining our standard of living and keeping the economy running smoothly is heavily reliant on a consistent supply of energy. Renewable energy systems create abundant energy by utilizing resources such as the sun, wind, earth, and plants. The demand for renewable energy is increasing, despite power scarcity, pollution, and climate change posing challenges to long-term development in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which has seen significant social and economic growth in recent years. To achieve its 23% renewable energy (RE) target, ASEAN can develop solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity. Members of the ASEAN have established regulations and incentives to encourage individuals and businesses to use renewable energy in the future. This paper explores Southeast Asian countries' comprehensive fossil-free energy options, the region's renewable energy potential, current capacity, goals, and energy needs. Through the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) 2016–2025 and the ASEAN Declaration on Renewable Energy, ASEAN is committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and promoting sustainable development aligning with the Paris Agreement's aim to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Results show that decarbonizing the region's energy system is possible, but current policies and actions must be altered to reach that target level. Further research is necessary to optimize the ASEAN region's renewable resource technical potential and commercial viability with available technology.

Contractors' Claims in an EPC and Turnkey Contract: Lessons Learned from a Hydropower Project

This study focuses on the contractor's claims on a hydropower project contracted under an international engineering procurement and construction (EPC) and turnkey contract in Nepal. The contractor faced challenges from the mobilization phase and submitted multiple claims to the employer for time extensions and additional overhead costs. This study identified 80 claims for a time extension and additional overhead costs. Through content analysis, this study grouped these claims under six categories: natural disaster, strike, unforeseen risk, material shortage, payment, and the COVID-19 pandemic. First, the study analyzed the claim type, outcome, and decision criteria of the claims. Next, the analysis presented decisions based on general conditions of contract (GCC) and the particular conditions of contract (PCC) clauses. The study found that the employer granted a time extension to most of the claims under natural disaster under force majeure and rejected most of the claims under the other five groups. Finally, the study presents findings and lessons learned from the case study, including the relevant GCC and PCC clauses used in claims resolution. The findings and lessons learned from this case study could help employers and international EPC contractors who want to build hydropower projects in Nepal. © 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.

The Geopolitics of Renewable Energy Transition in Eastern Africa

This paper focuses on the nexus between geopolitics and renewable energy in Eastern Africa. It sets out to explore the potential geopolitical implications of the transition to renewable energy in the region. The authors observe that there is increasing attention to renewable energy sources (wind, solar, hydro, geothermal, etc.) in the region with potential social, political and economic impacts. Existing literature on the region has focused on the relationship between energy and conflict as well as challenges in accessing energy. However, there is a gap in the literature, theory, and systematic framework with regard to the implications of renewable energy transition for the geopolitics in the region. The authors analyze existing academic publications, government reports, and other relevant publications to draw the relationship between geopolitics and renewable energy transition in the region. The study concludes that the geopolitical benefits of renewable energy in the region far outweigh the risks, and recommends increased adoption of renewable energy given the region’s vast resources, which can support the increased renewable energy transition and contribute to the fight against climate change.

Hydroelectricity, Environmental Governance and Anti-Reflexivity: Lessons from Muskrat Falls

Hydroelectric projects are often pursued on the promise of economic development and environmental co-benefits as a source of low-carbon energy. We analyse the case of the Muskrat Falls hydropower mega-project (located in Labrador, Canada) to understand why this project failed to live up to its promised benefits, but instead delivered a double disaster of economic cost and environmental risk. The key concepts of anti-reflexivity and deep stories help us understand why the project assumed an aura of inevitability in political and public discourse until it was too late to change course. Drawing on publicly available data and secondary sources, we identify the constellation of social forces that maintained political anti-reflexivity about the economic and environmental risks of the project and led to a double economic and environmental disaster. Our analysis identifies vital lessons for countering anti-reflexivity and improving environmental governance related to energy mega-projects.

Enhancing Workforce Agility Through E-Training to Deal With a Crisis: A Themes-Based Content Analysis †

Rapid changes are taking place in organizations due to the Covid-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, most of the employees worked from home. To face disruptions, organizations require an agile workforce. An agile workforce is proactive and adaptive, and has a positive attitude towards learning and self-development. During disruptive situations, organizations ought to adopt modern methods for imparting training to develop and manage the agility of their workforce. This study is a themes-based content analysis of workforce agility attained through e-training during Covid-19 in a power plant located in Himachal Pradesh, India. Focus group interview method was used to collect information. The focus group interviewed consisted of 14 employees (9 executives and 5 non-executives) who attended e-training programs. Seven themes, viz., adaptability, flexibility, collaborative, developmental, competent, speed, and informative, were identified from the literature. The questions were framed based on the themes. The content analysis results of the themes showed that through e-training employees perceived improved performance, knowledge, personal well-being, work flexibility, change adaption, motivation, communication, and analytical skills as significant outcomes. The findings of this study showed that e-training during disruptive situations worked effectively in enhancing employees' agility.

Renewable Electricity Generation in Small Island Developing States: The Effect of Importing Ammonia

Recently, we demonstrated for Curaçao that renewable electricity generation from wind combined with energy storage in the form of ammonia is competitive with imported fossil fuels, such as LNG, oil, and coal. In the current work, we have expanded the model by considering imported green ammonia as an alternative to local electricity generation and storage. Local production of ammonia as an energy storage medium was compared with imported ammonia to make up the electricity produced from onshore wind, for Curaçao and Fiji’s largest island Viti Levu. Curaçao and Viti Levu have been selected as two interesting extremes with favorable and non-favorable wind conditions, respectively. Assuming a market price of 500 USD/t NH3, it is found that importing ammonia is the most feasible solution for both islands, with a levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of 0.11 USD/kWh for Curaçao and 0.37 USD/kWh for Viti Levu. This compares to 0.12 USD/kWh for Curaçao;however, for Viti Levu, this value increases to 1.10 USD/kWh for a completely islanded system based on onshore wind and imported ammonia. These islands represent two extreme cases in terms of wind load factor and load consistency, as Curaçao has a high and consistent wind load factor when compared to Viti Levu. Thus, the conclusions obtained for these locations are expected to be applicable for other small island developing states.

Harvesting Energy from Ocean: Technologies and Perspectives

The optimal utilization of renewable energies is a crucial factor toward the realization of sustainability and zero carbon in a future energy system. Tidal currents, waves, and thermal and salinity gradients in the ocean are excellent renewable energy sources. Ocean tidal, osmotic, wave, and thermal energy sources have yearly potentials that exceed the global power demand of 22,848 TWh/y. This paper extensively reviews the technologies related to energy harvesting from waves, tidal, ocean thermals, and the salinity gradient. Moreover, the socio-economic, social, and environmental aspects of the above technologies are also discussed. This paper provides a better picture of where to invest in the future energy market and highlights research gaps and recommendations for future research initiatives. It is expected that a better insight into ocean energy and a deep understanding of various potential devices can lead to a broader adoption of ocean energy. It is also clear that further research into control strategies is needed. Policy makers should provide financial support for technologies in the demonstration stage and employ road mapping to accelerate the cost and risk reductions to overcome economic hurdles. To identify traditional and online sources on the topic, the authors used electronic databases and keyword searching approaches. Among them, the International Renewable Energy Agency data were the primary database utilized to locate sources.

Minister updates progress at Cameroon's Nachtigal project

AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT : Civil engineering works at the 420MW Nachtigal project are over halfway complete, Cameroon's Minister of Water and Energy, Gaston Eloundou Essomba, updated during a recent site visit. The Minister told reporters that the 52% of the civil work has been completed, with 48.2% of first electromechanical lot and 99.8% of the transmission line also complete. The project was initially expected to be complete at the end of 2023, but due to delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Nachtigal Hydro Power Company (NHPC) has now been tasked with starting operations of the first machine in July 2023, with final commissioning in July 2024

The Cost Benefit Analysis of Commercial 100 MW Solar PV: The Plant Quaid-e-Azam Solar Power Pvt Ltd

The energy crisis in Pakistan has crippled the country’s economy with an energy shortfall reaching up to 6000 MW. Fortunately, Pakistan lies close to the Sun Belt and therefore receives very high irradiation. To this end, in the beginning of 2014 the Pakistani government sanctioned a solar photovoltaic project namely Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park which was rated at 1000 MW. In this study, a cost benefit analysis for the Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park has been developed. The model uses RETScreen software. In fact, a literature review pointed out that most of the previous research work with reference to cost benefit analysis for solar projects has been mainly carried out on smaller power plants. The outcome of the study shows promising results with the simple payback period coming out at 5.6 years. Furthermore, this analysis can serve as guideline for future solar photovoltaic projects in Pakistan and can help in the development and utilization of the huge solar potential of the country, thus aiding in the reduction of energy shortage. In its proposal, our research is unique and innovative in the Pakistani context. The results aim to serve as a guideline for decision makers and researchers interested in this topic.

OPTIMAL INVESTMENT SCENARIOS FOR THE POWER GENERATION MIX DEVELOPMENT OF IRAQ

This study is about finding an optimal investment scenario for developing Iraqs electricity generation mix. This study uses the Markowitz portfolio method to optimize Iraqs electricity generation mix. The study model takes into account the costs associated with each technology used to generate power and the risks of using that technology. The scope of the study focuses on technologies involved in the electricity mix, which are gas turbines, thermal, diesel, and hydro power in addition to the electricity generated through independent power producers (IPPs) and imported electricity. An optimal investment scenario where the costs and risks are balanced is proposed. This scenario can reduce the current costs of electricity production by 39 percent as well as maintaining the risk at its current value. The contributing shares of technologies involved in the scenario include using 47 percent gas turbine, 28 percent IPPs and imported electricity, 19 percent thermal, 4 percent diesel, and 2 percent hydro power.

A Critical Review of Power Take-Off Wave Energy Technology Leading to the Conceptual Design of a Novel Wave-Plus-Photon Energy Harvester for Island/Coastal Communities’ Energy Needs

As the global interest in renewable energy generation continues, the need to develop new and innovative solutions is being explored every day throughout the world by researchers and innovators. Hybrid renewable energy innovations are gaining progressive interest not only because of the threat of climate change but also due to the technological advancements seen in renewables. Ocean waves have immense potential as a renewable energy source, and related technologies have advanced continuously over the past few decades. In response, this paper extensively studies wave energy converters (WECs) based on the power take-off (PTO) technique, and presents a novel hybrid wave-plus-photon energy (HWPE) harvester called Wavevoltaics, based on wave and solar energy capture systems for coastal communities’ power needs, in line with decarbonization measures. The HWPE harvester uses a simple rack-and-pinion mechanism in combination with solar cell technology to convert the wave energy into usable electrical energy in a water column structural design. This novel HWPE device can be used to provide power for lighting and gadgets for coastal communities that rely heavily on fossil fuels for their lighting and electrical needs. Later in the paper, the challenges faced in hybrid wave energy development are presented.

Renewable energy consumption, nonrenewable energy consumption, CO2 emissions and economic growth in Vietnam

PurposeThis study intended to analyze the impact of nonrenewable energy consumption, renewable energy consumption, CO2 emissions on per capita income growth in Vietnam in the period 1990–2019.Design/methodology/approachThe present study adopts the technique of the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) cointegration for the annual data collection of Vietnam.FindingsThe results of the study show that in the long term, nonrenewable energy consumption increases per capita income, but CO2 emissions reduce per capita income. In the short run, changes in nonrenewable energy consumption and renewable energy consumption promote per capita income growth in Vietnam. However, changes in nonrenewable energy consumption in the past have had a negative impact on the current income growth of Vietnamese people.Originality/valueThe current study provides new insights into the growth effect of nonrenewable energy consumption, renewable energy consumption and CO2 emissions. The papers suggests important implications to Vietnam in setting the long-run policies to boost the effect of energy consumption and CO2 emissions on growth in Vietnam in the coming time.

Solar Radiation Components on a Horizontal Surface in a Tropical Coastal City of Salvador

Renewable energy must be prioritized by humankind, mainly if there is an expected increase of 50% in energy consumption by 2030 and climate change scenarios are also confirmed. Urban areas consume 70% of the available energy on the planet. Brazil, the largest country in South America, concentrates more than 85% of its population in urban areas, facing a challenge to increase the renewable power plants in its energy matrix. This work presents the solar radiation components behavior for the city of Salvador to contribute with initiatives for the use of solar energy resource. Firstly, a radiometric platform was implemented to obtain direct measurements of global (EG) and diffuse (EDF) components of incoming solar radiation at the surface. The knowledge of EDF is an important requirement to support photovoltaic system projects, and there is no information on direct measurements of this component in the State of Bahia. The diffuse radiation measurement device (DRMD) was designed and built for this purpose. The measurements of solar radiation components performed in this research were submitted to a specific quality control, statistically analyzed and used to evaluate the performance of different empirical models to represent the behavior of EDF  in the tropical coastal city. The results demonstrate the potential to explore solar energy in the city of Salvador, with annual values of sunshine higher than 2200 h year−1 and average daily intensities of EG  and EDF  equal to 18.7 MJm−2day−1 and 7.35 MJm−2day−1,  respectively. The analysis of the diurnal cycle shows that EG in summer reaches a maximum of 4.2 MJm−2h−1 and in the rainy season it reaches a minimum of 3.7 MJm−2h−1, both at noon, and in summer the EDFh is 35% of the EGh and it is 46% in the rainy season.

Protecting Amazonia Should Focus on Protecting Indigenous, Traditional Peoples and Their Territories

Additionally, if deforestation alone was not enough, a severe drought in 2020 together with the COVID-19 pandemic has created a devastating synergism between forest loss, fires, which produce particulate air pollutants, and related health risks, endangering Amazonian Indigenous and traditional peoples [3]. According to a report just released by the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (INPE), deforestation within Indigenous lands has reached 331.1 km2 in 2021 [2]. Combining a geographic object-based image analysis (GEOBIA) to map LULC with the Brazilian Biomass Burning Emission with Fire Radiative Power (3BEM_FRP) model, they estimated the dangerous particulate pollution (particles with a diameter less than 2.5 µm, PM2.5) produced by deforestation and fire. According to the authors, deforestation is an important driver of emissions in Amazonia but does not explain biomass burning alone.

Augmented Reality on Museums: The Ecomuseu Virtual Guide

Studies point that smartphones show an important role in the improvement of museum visitors experience. Mobile devices have become the main tool available for travellers, which enables the diffusion of augmented reality solutions through this channel. Based on that, a virtual guide prototype was developed to enhance the museum visitors experience inside a famous attraction from Foz do Iguaçu, the Ecomuseu, constructed with the objective to show the work of Itaipu's hydroelectric power plant and the history regarding the region occupied by its reservoir. The developed application inserts virtual elements in different locations of the museum. Whenever such elements are "captured", they tell the visitor information about what is being exhibited so the perception of the visitor and knowledge absorption can be improved. To validate the proposed solution, we tested the app with 15 different users. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we adapted the app and performed the evaluation over the virtual tour of the same museum, which is available online. For the sake of our knowledge, this is the first time an augmented reality application is evaluated over a virtual representation of a museum. Despite the difficulties imposed by the current context, the feedback from the tested users was very positive. © 2021 ACM.

Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Activities Socio-Economic Floating Net Cages (FNC) Business in the Koto Panjang Hydropower Reservoir, Riau Province

The purpose of the study was to analyse the impact of social activities related to cultivation and outside the cultivation business as well as economic activities before and after covid-19. The method used in this research is a survey method. Data collection was carried out on 20 farmers, three fish seller, and two fish feed sellers. Data analysis was carried out quantitatively and qualitatively. The results showed that before the pandemic, 80% of FNC cultivators’ social activities were done face-to-face and after the pandemic, only 40% were face-to-face and the rest were through mobile phones. Social activities outside the FNC such as worship, marriage and other attendance frequency is reduced by 5% - 25% after the pandemic. The economic activity of aquaculture has decreased after the Covid-19 outbreak by 50% in 2020 and 37.5% in 2021. In 2021 cultivators have made a profit but it is lower than the profit before the covid-19 pandemic. The economic activity of aquaculture has decreased after the Covid-19 outbreak by 50% in 2020 and 37.5% in 2021. In 2021 cultivators have made a profit but it is lower than the profit before the covid-19 pandemic. The economic activity of aquaculture has decreased after the Covid-19 outbreak by 50% in 2020 and 37.5% in 2021. In 2021 cultivators have made a profit but it is lower than the profit before the covid-19 pandemic.

COVID-19: Impact analysis and recommendations for power sector operation.

The demand of electricity has been reduced significantly due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Governments around the world were compelled to reduce the business activity in response to minimize the threat of coronavirus. This on-going situation due to COVID-19 has changed the lifestyle globally as people are mostly staying home and working from home if possible. Hence, there is a significant increase in residential load demand while there is a substantial decrease in commercial and industrial loads. This devastating situation creates new challenges in the technical and financial activities of the power sector and hence most of the utilities around the world initiated a disaster management plan to tackle this ongoing challenges/threats. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the global scenarios of power systems during COVID-19 along with the socio-economic and technical issues faced by the utilities. Then, this study further scrutinized the Indian power system as a case study and explored scenarios, issues and challenges currently being faced to manage the consumer load demand, including the actions taken by the utilities/power sector for the smooth operation of the power system. Finally, a set of recommendations are presented to support the government/policymakers/utilities around the world not only to overcome the current crisis but also to overcome future unforeseeable pandemic alike scenario.