Assessment of hybrid, firm renewable energy-based power plants: Application in the southernmost region of Thailand

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to evaluate appropriate sites for Small Power Producers (SPP) hybrid, firm renewable energy-based power plants and their scenario suitability, focusing in the southernmost provinces of Thailand. The siting suitability of renewable SPP hybrid, firm power plants was assessed by employing the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) in a Geographic Information System (GIS) environment. Para rubberwood distribution map, 1-km resolution Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI) map, and high resolution (50 m) wind potential map are overlaid in possible regions for site selection. The inclusion of energy storage is also assessed in order to achieve the firm output of the optimized power plant, as per the requirement of the SPP policy. In total, 14 possible combinations of renewable SPP scenarios, ranging from 10 to 50 MW, were analyzed in order to identify an optimum scenario in terms of technical power potential, environmental suitability and socio-economic viability. The cost of each renewable SPP hybrid scenario was analyzed, as well as the annual energy production (AEP) for each scenario. The cost-benefit and the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) were analyzed using the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) in the ranking of all scenarios. Results show that the optimum scenario is a 40 MW solar PV power plant, complemented with a 10 MW biomass power plant and with a substantial energy storage system (ESS). This configuration has the highest generation capacity, at over 1,200 PWh/yr, the lowest LCOE, at 11.2 US cents/kWh, and avoiding CO2eq emissions of nearly 38 ktonnes per year. The methodology developed, based on a cost-benefit analysis, levelized cost of energy and greenhouse gas emission reductions, can also be applied in other jurisdictions characterized by the availability of biomass, solar and wind resources for electricity generation.