Senegal’s home gasoline reserves will be mainly used to provide electrical energy. Authorities count on that domestic gasoline infrastructure initiatives will come online between 2025 and 2026, offered there is no delay. The monetization of those important vitality resources is on the basis of the government’s new gas-to-power ambitions.
In this context, the worldwide technology group Wärtsilä performed in-depth research that analyse the economic impression of the varied gas-to-power strategies out there to Senegal. Two very totally different applied sciences are competing to meet the country’s gas-to-power ambitions: Combined-cycle gasoline turbines (CCGT) and Gas engines (ICE).
These research have revealed very important system cost differences between the 2 major gas-to-power technologies the nation is at present considering. pressure gauge ดิจิตอล to prevailing beliefs, fuel engines are in fact much better suited than mixed cycle gasoline turbines to harness energy from Senegal’s new gas assets cost-effectively, the examine reveals. Total cost differences between the 2 technologies may reach as a lot as 480 million USD till 2035 depending on eventualities.
Two competing and very totally different applied sciences
The state-of-the-art power combine models developed by Wärtsilä, which builds customised energy eventualities to identify the cost optimal method to ship new era capability for a selected country, shows that ICE and CCGT applied sciences current important price differences for the gas-to-power newbuild program running to 2035.
Although these two applied sciences are equally confirmed and dependable, they are very different in phrases of the profiles during which they can operate. CCGT is a expertise that has been developed for the interconnected European electrical energy markets, where it could function at 90% load factor always. On the other hand, flexible ICE know-how can function efficiently in all operating profiles, and seamlessly adapt itself to any other technology applied sciences that may make up the country’s energy mix.
In particular our examine reveals that when operating in an electricity network of limited measurement similar to Senegal’s 1GW national grid, relying on CCGTs to considerably broaden the community capacity can be extraordinarily pricey in all potential scenarios.
Cost differences between the applied sciences are explained by numerous components. First of all, scorching climates negatively impact the output of fuel turbines more than it does that of gasoline engines.
Secondly, because of Senegal’s anticipated entry to low-cost domestic gas, the working prices turn into much less impactful than the funding costs. In other phrases, as a end result of low gasoline prices decrease working prices, it is financially sound for the nation to rely on ICE power crops, which are cheaper to construct.
Technology modularity additionally performs a key function. Senegal is predicted to require an extra 60-80 MW of technology capability each year to have the flexibility to meet the growing demand. This is much lower than the capacity of typical CCGTs plants which averages 300-400 MW that have to be in-built one go, resulting in pointless expenditure. Engine power crops, on the opposite hand, are modular, which suggests they are often built precisely as and when the nation wants them, and additional prolonged when required.
The numbers at play are vital. The model exhibits that If Senegal chooses to favour CCGT vegetation on the expense of ICE-gas, it will lead to as a lot as 240 million dollars of additional value for the system by 2035. The price difference between the applied sciences can even enhance to 350 million USD in favor of ICE know-how if Senegal additionally chooses to build new renewable vitality capacity inside the next decade.
Risk-managing potential fuel infrastructure delays
The growth of gasoline infrastructure is a complex and lengthy endeavour. Program delays are not unusual, causing fuel provide disruptions that can have an enormous monetary impact on the operation of CCGT plants.
Nigeria knows something about that. Only last 12 months, important fuel supply points have caused shutdowns at a number of the country’s largest gasoline turbine energy vegetation. Because Gas generators function on a continuous combustion process, they require a constant supply of gas and a steady dispatched load to generate constant power output. If the supply is disrupted, shutdowns occur, putting an excellent pressure on the general system. ICE-Gas plants however, are designed to regulate their operational profile over time and improve system flexibility. Because of their flexible operating profile, they had been able to maintain a much larger degree of availability
The research took a deep dive to analyse the monetary influence of two years delay within the fuel infrastructure program. It demonstrates that if the nation decides to speculate into gasoline engines, the price of fuel delay would be 550 million dollars, whereas a system dominated by CCGTs would result in a staggering 770 million dollars in extra cost.
Whichever way you take a glance at it, new ICE-Gas technology capability will reduce the entire cost of electricity in Senegal in all possible scenarios. If Senegal is to meet electrical energy demand development in a cost-optimal means, no less than 300 MW of latest ICE-Gas capacity will be required by 2026.
Share