Search

• Novel modelling framework allow spatiotemporal optimisation of energy systems. • Co-simulating regional power market model and local biomass and district heat model. • New detailed spatial optimisation of renewable gas and fuel production. • PtX shows promising economic-viability in the future. • Excess heat from biorefineries is efficiently used for district heating. This study conducts an integrated energy system assessment to evaluate pathways for using locally distributed sustainable biomass resources in the conversion to renewable gas and liquid biofuels in future integrated energy systems. A modelling framework with a detailed spatiotemporal representation is used, optimising the usage and transportation of local biomass resources for producing renewable gas and renewable liquid fuels through the OptiFlow model, along with the comprehensive power and district heating model Balmorel, integrating short-term dynamics in the long-term planning horizon. Results for a fossil-independent Danish energy system by 2050 show that production of bio-jet fuel in Denmark would impose high pressure on national biomass resources. Electrofuels, such as biomethanol, have economic viability and promising potentials. The results regarding renewable gas production show that anaerobic co-digestion of a mixed feedstock to produce biogas, which is further upgraded to biomethane using water scrubbing for CO 2 removal, would be the preferred option. Biorefineries are located near larger cities to benefit from economy of scale and access to large district heating networks, as excess heat from biorefineries could supply up to 21% of the national district heating demand. On the contrary, biogas plants would be located in the countryside, as the costs of transporting manure are a determining factor. Therefore, our study provides a novel modelling approach, which enables optimisation of geographical distributed resources for renewable gas and liquid fuel production, while taking synergies across energy vectors in account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A radical adjustment to current energy systems will be imperative in achieving the Paris Agreement. This paper analyses the holistic 2050 Danish energy system and particularly its future transport sector, which aims to be fossil fuel independent. Using a linear optimisation tool (Balmorel-OptiFlow), the role of electrofuels is analysed at a high temporal and geographic resolution for the Nordic + German region. Electrofuel technologies have been investigated and incorporated into the energy model creating a comprehensive catalogue of alternative fuel pathways. Results reveal an energy system with a high reliance on variable energy sources. Electrofuels that utilise biomass have been found to be more economically attractive compared to electrofuels using carbon capture. Biomass costs, fuel demands, and electricity prices drive the competition between the evaluated alternative fuel pathways. Carbon capture technologies are found to not play a role in the production of transport fuels unless future biomass resources are more limited or costly than expected. Additionally, it has been found that temporal resolution can greatly affect results when modelling alternative fuel pathways. The study concludes that electrofuels - particularly those using biomass - can play a prominent role in future transport sectors. • Electrofuels have high use potential in future transport systems. • Fuels using hydrogen can be more economically attractive compared to biofuels. • Modelling of electrofuels in holistic energy systems enables sector coupling. • Novel modelling of electrofuels with high temporal and spatial resolution. • Linkage of power market model and detailed spatiotemporal network model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]