64094 - Power Plant State of the Art Solutions for Enhanced Flexibility and Energy Storage 

The tutorial aims to introduce the audience to technical solutions viable to enhance the flexibility of gas turbine combined cycles and, more in general, power plants, by hybridising the conventional layout with different power technologies, such as internal combustion engines, heat pumps, electrolysers. Options for introducing energy storage capacity will be explained, including electrical, thermal and chemical storage. The tutorial is organised by complementary presentations from Academia and Industry targeting the horizon of future energy markets, where the increased share of non-dispatchable renewable resources are going to exacerbate the request for power flexibility from gas fired power plants, representing, at the same time, a market opportunity for fossil-fuel systems. 

The tutorial will cover the following aspects, focusing on state-of-the-art solutions and outlining advanced approaches:

1) hybridisation with heat pumps and thermal storage

2) hybridisation with internal combustion engines and electrical storage

3) hybridisation with electrolyser and hydrogen storage

Each solution will be presented in terms of pros and cons and complemented by specific case studies, highlighting the specific engineering issues and potential solutions. In fact, hybridisation of power plants with alternative equipment and energy storage may rise safety and management issues never faced before by the power industry: in this respect, new standards and certifications may be needed, which may represent a non-technical barrier to their effective implementation in power plants.