Supporting a Sustainable Multi-Energy Planning: The Case Study of Sulcis
Iglesiente Province in Italy
Abstract
In the energy transition context, the design of integrated multi-energy
systems is key for reaching ambitious sustainability objectives. Due to
the intermittent nature of the renewable energy sources, introducing
technologies for storing and transforming energy in different carriers
(e.g., electricity, gas, heat) is, in fact, a strategic solution for
fully exploiting the renewable power generation, increasing the
flexibility of the system, and contributing to the decarbonization.
Although the need to rely on multi-energy systems is widely shared,
identifying their optimal design requires the use of complex modelling
tools able to characterize the territory, simulate the system dynamics,
and evaluate the solutions with respect to different sustainability
objectives. To support the decarbonization decision-making process, in
this work we develop a three-step modelling chain for planning optimal
multi-energy systems at the local scale. More precisely, we first
perform a territory characterization by estimating, through different
methodologies, input data of renewable resource availability, territory
exploitation potential, and energy demand of electricity and heat. Then,
we carry out a multi-energy analysis identifying Pareto optimal system
designs with respect to two sustainability objectives, namely the Net
Present Cost and the CO2 emissions. Finally, we perform
an intersectoral Multi Criteria Analysis-Cost Benefit Analysis (MCA-CBA)
for evaluating the solutions obtained in the previous step with respect
to a wide range of indicators representing energy, economic, and social
acceptance aspects. The CBA approach is adopted for evaluating the
financial and economic viability of the investment options, while the
assessment of non-monetary impacts is performed through the MCA
approach. We apply the modelling chain to the real case study of Sulcis
Iglesiente (Sardinia, Italy), a territory characterized by
carbon-intensive industries, recently selected for receiving funding
from the Just Transition Fund launched by the EU Commission in the
context of the Green Deal. Expected results aim to demonstrate the
validity of the proposed modelling chain in the identification of the
best interventions for supporting the decarbonization and the
sustainable development of Sulcis Iglesiente.