Virtual Power Plant (VPP) in Zeeland

Is it possible, within the boundaries of the province of Zeeland and in the accessible North Sea, to generate the same amount of energy per year using wind power, solar power and energy storage – whilst also maintaining a virtually constant output of 1,600 MW – as a new nuclear power station would? And what exactly would be required to achieve this?

In the fourth year of the multidisciplinary MSc programme in Sustainable Energy Technology (SET) at Eindhoven University of Technology, the System Integration Project is a core module. Based on Challenge-Based Learning, students explore a new area of the energy sector through a specific real-world problem, conducting their own literature reviews and calculations, and formulating a recommendation. Two KIVI engineers, Koen Huizer and Richard Overkamp, have formulated an energy challenge for a group of six SET students: Is it technically, economically and geographically feasible to emulate the electricity production of a 1,600 MW EPR-III nuclear power station in Zeeland using a combination of wind and solar energy, storage systems and a single central energy management system? Such a system is known in the literature as a Virtual Power Plant (VPP), whereby emulating the virtually constant output of a nuclear power station is a new development.

Results

Energy generation in excess of 1,600 MW is capped by storage in battery systems or hydrogen gas. If the output from wind turbines and PV systems falls below 1,600 MW, the battery systems or hydrogen gas power stations take over the energy supply. The students’ research shows that a virtual power station with a 1,600 MW nameplate power is capable of supplying 12.8 TWh/year. The total installed capacity of wind farms and solar energy systems is, of course, considerably higher than 1,600 MW. And a great deal of equipment is required for energy storage and as a backup during periods of low wind and little sunshine (Dunkelflaute). Furthermore, a very specific setup of an aggregator function is required for the central management of the assets.

From 2030, the first VPP subsystems in Zeeland could already start generating electricity, and by around 2040, 1,600 MW could be supplied. That is many years earlier than an EPR-III nuclear power station: from 2030, the VPP assets will already be helping to reduce COâ‚‚ emissions from electricity generation. The Virtual Power Plant takes up more space than a nuclear power station, but achieves at least twice the cumulative reduction in COâ‚‚ emissions between 2030 and 2050 and has much lower end-of-life costs.

Artificial Intelligence tools can no longer be ignored

A brief consistency check of Gemini-AI formed part of the research. At the start of the research, a Gemini-AI response was provided that was only partially correct. The free version actually proved to be unusable for developing the energy system. AI does, however, simplify the process of finding substantive information from the vast amount of text available online, provided it is accessible on the internet. The scientific citation of sources is, however, a weakness. AI tools made it entirely feasible to access public data sources and integrate them into the simulation programme developed by the students within the four-month duration of the study.

Energy Plan EnergyNL2050

Since 2016, a working group of electrical engineers from KIVI, led by Eric Persoon, has been investigating what the characteristics should be of a COâ‚‚-free energy system for the Netherlands that is based entirely on electricity generation from wind and solar power. Koen Huizer and Richard Overkamp are members of this working group; the Energy Challenge emerged from this initiative.

Who is it for?

This e-Lunch Webinar is ideal for professionals, engineers, policymakers and anyone working on the energy infrastructure of tomorrow.

Programme

  • 11.45 am – 12.00 pm Log in to MS Teams
  • 12.00 pm – 12.05 pm Welcome by KIVI Elektrotechniek
  • 12.05 pm – 12.45 pm Presentation by Koen Huizer / Richard Overkamp
  • 12.45 pm – 1.00 pm Q&A with questions from the chat *)
  • 1.00 pm Closing remarks and end

*) If a large number of questions are raised or very detailed questions are asked, we will consider answering them in asecond webinar

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