FlexHKW - Heat power stations adapted to flexible electricity production

This project evaluates the potential of thermal power units for flexible electrical power generation in order to support the adjustment of the overall electrical power generation to the needs of the overall consumption plus the power generated by wind and solar systems. Hereby the share of renewable energies will be increased and ­concurrently -the CO2 emissions reduced. From the point of view of thermal power unit operators the profit can be maximised by usage of price spreads when directly merchandising the energy produced and henceforth building a sound basis for refunding the power plant. In order to exploit this extra degree of freedom this project particularly investigates the opportunities of additional thermal buffer units. Different concepts for sundry thermal power plant types are elaborated. For an existing pilot plant, running a district heating network already, a technical concept had been elaborated and analysed for the economic feasibility. In the case of economic profitability the technical measures are taken and proven in a field test at present.