Key characteristics
The model, develop in the framework of the WEAMEC project “EMA”, builds power mix scenarios applied to the French power system, and simulates the operation of the power market, according to the marginal cost of technologies. The goal is to simulate the mass deployment of off-shore wind energy in 2035/2050, in order to assess the market effects from a system perspective with concern to balance and flexibility needs. The model integrates a rich data base of inputs, according to the transparent platform of the French TSO, RTE, applied to eleven representative technologies and to two energy storage types. The model inputs are the installed capacities of power plants, the hourly capacity factors of variable renewables (hydro, off and on-shore wind power and solar), operation constraints (ramping and minimum thresholds), grid interconnections, hourly demand profile, loss rate, the carbon price and the reference year. Outputs are the power volume generated every hour over the year (8760 steps), export and import flows, carbon emissions, and the power curtailment from the demand and supply sides. The power market operation is based on the call of technologies under the constraint of hourly supply and demand equilibria, considering the availability of power plants and of natural inflows.
Functionalities and services
The SSEF simulator is intended for energy operators, researchers, students and energy stakeholders aiming to build and test scenarios of the French mix. The model has a user-friendly interface, it integrates already built scenarios (RTE 2035 Ampère and Watt, Ademe 2050), and the user can also test alternative scenarios built for different installed capacities of generation and storage, export-import and total demand. The simulator includes an explanatory notice to make the user familiar with files and commands; while a more detailed manual presents model’s assumptions, the algorithm, and result analysis.
Disclaimer. The tool can be used for tests and analysis, to improve the understanding of the topic and the interaction with the academia researchers. However, for publication purposes, the approval of Université de Nantes is mandatory for further analyzing the scenarios tested by the user and the results obtained with this tool.
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Example of MRE applications
Fixed off-shore wind.
The dispatching model simulates the integration into the grid of technologies included into the Energy Transition Act, and depicts in particular the deployment of off-shore wind energy. Hourly inputs are documented such as to realistically account for the site location along the French coasts and for wind turbine characteristics (see the website renewables.ninja).
