The role of energy storage in planning our energy needs in the UAE
1. The Role of Energy Storage in
Planning our Energy Needs in the UAE
Bruce Smith
Director of Forecasting and Planning
2. ADWEC’s Planning Objectives
2
Defined in Law and Licence:
Unless directed otherwise ADWEC is required to be technology neutral to achieve these objectives
Security of Supply Minimise Total System Cost
Policy directions (e.g. emissions
targets, technology choices)
3. Changing Energy and Water
Supply Landscape
The task of planning is now much more complex than when gas was plentiful and
cheap.
• Over 25% of Abu Dhabi’s energy will come from nuclear power when all 4
reactors are online
• Increasing domestic gas price and value: Legacy of plants designed and
contracted based on a low gas price
• The cheapest energy available is now solar pv
• Membrane based water desalination technology is now preferred to thermal
MSF and MED processes
• Tariff reforms initiated in 2015: (The first increase for 15 years) Growth in
demand is falling
3
4. What can Storage offer?
• In addition to simple energy (MWh):
• Firm capacity
• Ability to levelize load
• Provide ancillary services
• Frequency control,
• Backup capacity
• Spinning and non-spinning reserve
4
5. Balancing Tasks in Electricity Supply
Systems
5
Seconds Minutes Hourly Daily Weekly Seasonal
Frequency
Control
Load Following Ramp Rate
Smoothing
Peak Shaving Wind output
smoothing
Summer / winter
smoothing
Voltage
Support
Prediction error
compensation
Load following Solar output
smoothing
Weekend storage Summer solar
use in winter
Primary
reserves
Secondary reserves Demand
response
Arbitrage
14. Daily Demand Profile in UK
14
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
35000
40000
45000
50000
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Demand in England and Wales
11 Dec 2017MW
Dec-17 Time: Hrs Demand (MW) Variation
Min 5:00 24,197
45% below
peak
Peak 18:00 44,271
15. Abu Dhabi Solar Output Profile
15
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
0:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00
Solar Energy Output
(Sweihan area)
Peak output May Feb output August output
May 100%
Feb 77%
Aug 91%
16. Winter 2025 Demand / Production Profile with
5000MW of uncurtailed solar PV installed
16
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
February 2025 Average
Nuclear Solar energy output Battery Conventional Load
MWMWMWMW
17. Winter 2025 Demand / Production Profile with 5000MW of
solar PV installed and output curtailed to ensure 50% of
residual demand met by flexible generation
17
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
February 2025 Average
Nuclear Curtailed solar output Required Conventional Load
MWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMW
18. Winter 2025 Demand / Production Profile with 5000MW of
solar PV installed and output curtailed to ensure 50% of
residual demand met by flexible generation
18
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
February 2025 Average
Nuclear Curtailed solar output Battery Required Conventional Load
MWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMW
5hours of storage of up to
700MW limits ramp rate to
500MW per hour
19. Winter 2025 Demand / Production Profile with 5000MW
of solar PV installed and output curtailed to ensure
50% of residual demand met by flexible generation
19
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
February 2025 Average
Nuclear Curtailed solar output Battery
Required Conventional Load Residual Load no solar
MWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMW
20. Winter 2025 Demand / Production Profile with 5000MW
of solar PV installed and output curtailed to ensure
50% of residual demand met by flexible generation
20
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
February 2025 Average
Nuclear Curtailed solar output
Battery Required Conventional
Load Residual Load no solar
Residual load with solar curtailed
MWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMW
21. Winter 2025 Demand / Production Profile with 5000MW
of solar PV installed and output curtailed to ensure
50% of residual demand met by flexible generation
21
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
February 2025 Average
Nuclear Curtailed solar output
Battery Required Conventional
Load Residual Load with solar
Residual Load no solar Residual load with solar curtailed
MWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMW
22. Winter 2025 Demand / Production Profile with 5000MW
of solar PV installed and output curtailed to ensure 50%
of residual demand met by flexible generation
22
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
August 2025 Max
Nuclear Max potential solar output Conventional
MW
TIME
5000MW of installed solar
PV Capacity provides 8% of
total energy in August
23. Take-aways
1. System Flexibility will be essential – nuclear and solar reduce it.
2. Batteries can’t provide economic long term storage.
3. Detailed study is planned this year to understand further the potential value and opportunities for
energy storage.
4. Batteries have potential to enable increased renewable penetration.
5. How to combine storage plant operation at shorter timescales
6. Value and role of distributed storage unclear: how can it be integrated into the bulk power
system?
7. Gas likely to remain the most flexible and cost effective long term energy storage
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