The role of modern bioenergy in solar photovoltaic driven and defossilised power systems : The case of Ghana

Abstract

A mix of renewable and sustainable energy resources namely; solar photovoltaic, hydropower and biomass can achieve the entire defossilisation of the Ghanaian power sector. Storage technologies, transmission grid, hydropower and bioenergy resources furnish the needed flexibility to the system. A techno-economic analysis was performed with a cost optimisation-modelling tool. A comprehensive bioenergy potential assessment method was developed and applied for the case of Ghana, fully ascertaining the technically harvestable bioenergy potential. The case country Ghana is divided into six micro -regions and the optimisation is carried out in 5-year steps depending on technological and costs status, assumptions within the time horizon of 2015 to 2050, for all energy technologies involved. Six scenarios have been designed to study the energy transition options highlighting the role of bioenergy, greenhouse gas emissions costs, and highly ambitious climate mitigation policies. Hybrid of PV-battery systems surfaced to be the comparatively cheaper and prime technology in the ambitious Best Policy Scenarios. Levelised cost of electricity in the Best Policy Scenario declines from 48.7 €/MW in 2015 to 36.9 - 46.6 €/MWh in 2050, contrarily, by 2050, in the Current Policy Scenario without cost of greenhouse gas emission, electricity cost increased to 76.4 €/MWh. This study outcome clearly demonstrate that long-term low-cost power solutions are achievable through a wide variety of renewable energy technologies in the generation mix, supported primarily by solar photovoltaics. The role of biomass power plants in the power system dominated by renewable energy resources was investigated and it was revealed that bioenergy has an essential role to play in stabilising a renewable power supply system.