Long-term influence of the gradual naval fleets decarbonization on the flexibility of an integrated energy system

To achieve the transition towards net-zero carbon economy and transport, reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases and improving the quality of life in the coastal areas, decarbonization of various naval fleets will be essential. In this research, gradual decarbonization, using different hybrid, electric and hydrogen technologies for decarbonization of fleets engaged in activities such as fishery, passenger transport and transport of goods near the coast is investigated and modelled in connection to the power systems’ configuration. The energy system analysis and simulations are carried out in H2RES, a linear energy systems’ configuration optimization software. It considers capacity expansion, decommission and unit commitment in the sectors of power generation, heating, industry, and transport. In this particular case, transport sector module is expanded to provide realistic modelling of different naval fleets’ energy consumption, on the example of fishery fleet. This is performed through the inclusion of learning curves of different technologies that are expected in the naval transport, to replace the old internal combustion engine power drives and the demand curves that characterize the fishery fleet. Results include the changes in the variable renewable energy integration in the sectors of energy demand, general and bottom-up assessments of economic benefits and emissions reduction. Results demonstrate that the presented approach can offer better insights into the changes that are needed in an energy system based on renewable energy sources, in case of detailed modelling of the energy needs emphasized by a fishery fleet and different dynamics of its decarbonization. Through internalization of all costs, the resulting system also achieves better economic results as a whole and from the bottom-up perspective.