(463e) Aeni: Agent-Based Energy Network Infrastructure Design and Operation

The need for rapid decarbonisation across all sectors in most countries of the world is still on the increase. Over 70 countries have made net-zero pledges from as early as 2030, with a few passing these commitments into law. Amongst the current decarbonisation routes, Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) is the most promising particularly for power generation and other carbon-intensive sectors (Bui et al., 2018). Hydrogen also has the potential to be an emissions-free energy carrier when produced using electrolysis or zero-emissions electricity, and can enable the deep decarbonisation of industry, transport and the wider energy sector (Longden et al., 2022). Challenges in the implementation of these solutions still, however, exist.

For CCUS, one of the key challenges in its implementation relates to the optimal planning and design of large-scale infrastructure. Using shared infrastructure, for example in industrial clusters, allows for benefits due to economies of scale. However, right-sizing remains critical to avoid financial losses or unjustified capital costs when infrastructure is underestimated or overestimated respectively (Mechleri et al., 2017). Numerous studies exist addressing hydrogen network designs. A great deal of these studies, however, focus on regional hydrogen networks with little attention paid to local hydrogen use which is key in the decarbonisation of heat (Slorach and Stamford, 2021).

To ensure some of these challenges are met, we propose AENI (/ˈen.i/) - Agent-based Energy Network Infrastructure design and operation - that allows for the multi-nodal multi-period techno-economic analysis of energy network infrastructure, specifically carbon dioxide (CO₂) and hydrogen. It broadly consists of an optimisation-based network design module and an agent-based network operations module. Given a set of network nodes (producers, emitters, consumers, and/or storage sites), the network design module determines the optimal infrastructure size required to transport CO₂ or hydrogen via pipelines and/or shipping under variable demand/production scenarios. It further determines the optimal compressor size required to achieve design and transport conditions, using detailed hydraulic equations as opposed to approximated cost curves. The agent-based network operations module allows for the dynamic operation of the designed network under projected decarbonisation scenarios, ensuring safe operation within pre-specified system boundaries.

In this work, we apply AENI to the analysis of a European industrial cluster with CO₂ emissions of over 16 MTPA, as well as a local hydrogen network in the United Kingdom (UK). It estimates the minimum CCUS infrastructure costs for the industrial cluster under differing scenarios with goals in line with the European Union’s 40% emissions reduction target. The local hydrogen network allows for a robust supply-demand matching of industrial hydrogen in the region, in line with the UK’s net-zero strategy. Each of these case studies is aimed at demonstrating the versatility of AENI in overcoming some of the current challenges in implementing decarbonisation plans across sectors.

Acknowledgement

This work has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement no. 884418. The work reflects only the authors’ views and the European Union is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.

References

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Longden, T., Beck, F. J., Jotzo, F., Andrews, R., & Prasad, M. (2022). ‘Clean’ hydrogen? – Comparing the emissions and costs of fossil fuel versus renewable electricity based hydrogen. Applied Energy, 306(August 2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.118145

Mechleri, E., Brown, S., Fennell, P. S., & Mac Dowell, N. (2017). CO2 capture and storage (CCS) cost reduction via infrastructure right-sizing. Chemical Engineering Research and Design, 119, 130–139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cherd.2017.01.016

Slorach, P. C., & Stamford, L. (2021). Net zero in the heating sector: Technological options and environmental sustainability from now to 2050. Energy Conversion and Management, 230, 113838. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2021.113838