Modelling and multi-criteria evaluation of the integration of centralized and distributed long-term energy storage in an island context

  • Belfort, Territoire-de-Belfort
  • 1 975 €/mois
  • CDD
  • Temps-plein
  • Il y a 30 jours
Offer DescriptionContext and state of the art:Non-interconnected areas, including the French islands, suffer from an energy mix that is both more carbon-intensive and more expensive than mainland France. These areas are also highly dependent on imports of fossil fuels, especially oil, for electricity production and transport. La Réunion is an example of this, with, in 2022, an average electricity production cost of more than €280/MWh, an 85% energy dependency rate, 65% of the final energy consumption used for transport, and only 14% of renewable energy in primary energy consumption [1].La Réunion has moved closer to 100% renewable electricity production by 2024, through the conversion of thermal power plants to biomass and bioliquids. However, the environmental impacts of these solutions are questionable, as is the choice to resort to importing wood from other continents. By 2030, the island is also aiming for complete energy self-sufficiency, which seems very ambitious.The ANR HyLES project, which ends in 2024 and is coordinated by FEMTO-ST, has enabled a study of the energy mix and the role of hydrogen for the 2030 and 2050 horizons, according to different scenarios [2] based on a modelling of production (particularly renewable), consumption, means of transport and the electricity transmission network. This work has shown the need for long-term storage (in addition to short-term storage on the scale of a few hours) on the scale of the island, but the question cannot be studied within the project due to lack of time. The work also pointed out the great difficulty in covering the needs necessary for the decarbonization of the aviation sector while that of the maritime sector would be conceivable.Challenges:
  • The need for storage is still poorly understood, as it depends on changes in demand and the energy mix, and therefore on meteorological data. An evaluation of a minimum of 10 to 20 years of historical data would be necessary to identify the probabilities and durations of dunkelflaute phenomena (a period with low wind and sunshine) [3], for example. On the other hand, demand response capacity - for example via the management of vehicle charging - could provide more flexibility on the demand side.
  • Different technologies allow long-term storage (from several hours to seasonal) on a large scale [3]. Pumped hydro plants are a classic solution, but their potential is limited, or the technologies need to be adapted, as with marine pumped hydro plants. Hydrogen - or its derivatives - is a potential solution, but it cannot be based on geological storage (salt caverns, etc.) due to its absence in La Reunion Island. Other technologies such as iron-air batteries, with low density but very low cost, may emerge in the future [5]. Apart from the questions of technical feasibility, costs and performance, the question of the environmental impacts (emissions, biodiversity, resources, etc.) of these technologies must also be considered.
  • Another approach would be to use distributed storage, for example in the form of residential batteries or even vehicle-to-grid (V2G). However, the coordination of these resources is much more complex because it relies on a large number of equipment, can impact users and raises the question of the underlying business model. The feasibility of this approach is therefore uncertain.
  • In terms of management, the simultaneous consideration of short-term (minute to hour) and long-term (several years) dynamics poses problems of computation time, especially when the ageing of components is considered [4].
Planned work and provisional schedule:The proposed thesis will focus more specifically on the case of La Reunion island, corresponding to a non-interconnected and isolated area of significant size (more than 800,000 inhabitants).The first stage (M1-M6) will consist of a study of the state of the art in the field and a study of the results of the HyLES project, which made it possible to obtain data, to define initial scenarios and to design sizing and management algorithms that do not take into account the issue of long-term storage, nor the possibilities offered by demand response or grid-edge storage.The second stage (M4-M24) will aim to study centralized long-term storage, revising existing algorithms to integrate the models of equipment considered (storage as well as demand response), new management and sizing strategies, and specific scenarios to be designed and evaluated.The third step (M18-M30) will focus on the approach implementing distributed storage, e.g. through an agent-based method. The focus will be on the management of residential storage and electric vehicles. The results obtained on the same scenarios as in the previous step will make it possible to make a multi-criteria comparison (technical, economic, environmental and even social) of the two approaches. The complementarity between the two approaches will also be assessed.Finally, the last step (M31-M36) will correspond to the writing of the thesis manuscript and then the defense. A target of publications targeting 3 international journals and 2 international or national conferences will be set.RequirementsResearch Field Engineering » Electrical engineering Education Level Master Degree or equivalentSkills/QualificationsMaster's or engineering degree in electrical, energy or applied mathematics engineering. Experience with Python programming. Written and oral proficiency in English and French. Ability to write and present in English. Interest in energy issues and transitions. Interest in interdisciplinary work.Languages ENGLISH Level ExcellentLanguages FRENCH Level ExcellentAdditional InformationBenefitsEstimated gross monthly salary: 1975€Selection processApplicants are invited to submit their application to the PhD supervisors.An application must contain the following documents:
  • CV
  • Grades / transcript from the latest degree
  • Cover letter
At least 1 reference letterAdditional commentsThesis supervisor :Prof. Dr. Robin ROCHE (Université de Franche-Comté, FEMTO-ST) -Co-supervisors :Dr. Dominique GRONDIN (Université de La Réunion, ENERGY-lab), co-encadrant / co-supervisor,Work Location(s)Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute FEMTO-ST, Energy department, SHARPAC team Country France City Belfort Postal Code 90000 GeofieldWhere to apply E-mailrobin.roche@univ-fcomte.frContact State/ProvinceFranche-Comté CityBESANCON WebsiteStreet1 rue Claude Goudimel Postal Code25000STATUS: EXPIRED

EURAXESS