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Abstract

These new concepts for transitional hybrid power plants may also include the integration and implementation of Multi Vector Energy Storage Systems (MuVESS) such as thermal and electrical energy storage. Ideas must go beyond simple site-sharing and should address real process/plant synergies to create hybrid concepts that are more than the sum of their parts.

This is an Ideation Challenge with a guaranteed award for at least one submitted solution.

Overview

A sustainable growth of renewable energies is a key target for Enel to achieve a 100% renewable power generation. In this path, some gas-fired power plants will continue to have a fundamental role to guarantee the adequacy and resiliency of the energy system in the transitioning phase. In some cases, depending on existing infrastructures and site constraints, integration of these plants with renewables, going beyond the simple site-sharing concept, represent an opportunity to foster and accelerate the sustainable and effective growth of Renewable Energy Sources (RES).

The transitional hybrid power plant, thanks to the synergistic integration of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) and Gas power plants (GPP), could help to:

  • Foster the flexibility of power generation assets and their capability to provide energy services to ensure grid stability;
  • Optimizing response to load profile, maximizing the production of renewable energy sources;
  • Improve the adequacy and resiliency of the energy system while increasing the percentage of renewable based power generation;
  • Increase the competitiveness and sustainability of the Enel power generation fleet;
  • Accelerate the energy transition.

The concept of transitional hybrid power plants goes beyond the simple site-sharing configurations in which the RES and GPP share land and electrical connections but operate essentially independently. This new concept may also include the integration and implementation of Multi Vector Energy Storage Systems (MuVESS), such as thermal and electric storage, enabling energy storage and shifting over a period of 6-18 hours. 

This Challenge provides contribution to the following Sustainable Development Goals:

  • SDG 7: Affordable and clean energy
  • SDG 9: Industry, innovation, and infrastructure
  • SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production

For questions about the challenge and your proposal you can contact EnelOpenInnovabilityChallenges@innocentive.com

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Description

BACKGROUND

The current path of Enel toward 100% renewable power generation requires the active support of certain gas power plants (GPPs) to guarantee the adequacy and resiliency of the energy system. In this framework, these existing GPPs represent an opportunity, thanks to a suitable surrounding environment and the existing infrastructure where a synergic coupling with RES is affordable, creating a new concept for a hybrid power plant. Several concepts have arisen for hybrid power plants that combine multiple power generation systems but that currently only envision simple site-sharing or electric connection schemes. More advanced concepts must go beyond this simple co-sharing scheme, creating new process and operational synergies by combining RES with GPP. The adoption of Multi Vector Energy Storage Systems (MuVESS) could support the hybridization of the power generation systems using both electrical and thermal energy and acting as long duration energy storage.

 

THE CHALLENGE

Enel Green Power is looking for innovative solutions that can integrate renewable energy sources (RES) with gas power plants (GPP), to ensure the adequacy and resiliency of the energy system during this transitioning phase towards 100% renewable energy generation. This new concept of transitional hybrid power plant may also include the integration and implementation of Multi Vector Energy Storage Systems (MuVESS) such as thermal and electric energy storage. Ideas should use as GPP reference a standard Open Cycle Gas Turbine (OCGT) or Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) design along with a RES system preferably, but not restricted to, photovoltaic (PV).

The focus of innovation for submissions should be the overall configuration of the transitional hybrid power plant as well as the design, integration and use of innovative MuVESS if applicable. Solutions consisting of simple site-sharing or only the use of lithium ion batteries for energy storage will not be considered for award.

 

The file Annex Challenge Hybrid PP.pdf found under Attachments, below, contains information and diagrams of the two GPP designs considered, as well as simple examples of hybrid power plant configurations to be considered only as general indication and not as exclusive configuration required. The file Annex PV profile.xlsx, also found under Attachments, contains, as an example, power output profiles for a 40MW PV system for the various seasons of the year. All information provided in the annexes is to be considered as an example, and it has the simple aim of giving indications to perform the required analysis. Moreover, the power output profile of the whole system can be considered flat for simplicity of calculation.

 

Submissions should meet the following Solution Requirements and in particular the proposed solution:

  • Must identify real process/plant synergies and equipment integration options (RES+GPP);
  • Must consider as RES only commercial solutions with PV the preferred RES;
  • Must consider as GPP the reference CCGT or OCGT technologies;
  • May also include the integration of innovative Multi Vector Energy Storage Systems (MuVESS) to ensure long duration energy storage (6-18 hours).
  • MuVESS and other technologies utilized in a solution should be at an EU Technical Readiness Level (TRL) of 7 or greater;
  • Should be scalable;
  • Must be sustainable in terms of materials used, environmental impact, emissions and end of life management;

 

Additionally, submissions will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

  • Competitive analysis with alternative or standard solutions as determined by Enel

 

PROJECT DELIVERABLES

The submitted proposal should consist of a detailed technical feasibility study and must address and include the following aspects and information for the proposed idea:

  • Technical description with synergies identified;
  • Integration schemes;
  • Basic thermodynamic and process flow calculation;
  • Identification and description of operation strategies;
  • Performance quantification at system and subsystem level (i.e. MuVESS: Useful Capacity; Useful Life; DoD; Degradation in capacity; Degradation in RoundTrip Efficiency; Ramp up time (hot, warm, cold); Auxiliary consumption in OFF, ON and stand-by status);
  • List of projects/application already in operation in case of MuVESS proposed solution to demonstrate its TRL level;
  • Description of the sustainability of solution: material used, environment impacts, end of life management issues;

 

The following deliverables are highly desired but not required:

  1. List of type of ordinary maintenance needed (replacement, refilling, frequency);
  2.  List of site specific constraints such as orographic limits;
  3. Heat rate calculation: gas consumption for energy production (mc/kWhe) for hybrid solution vs case with only gas power plant;
  4. Potential development plan and identification of gaps to cover to pass from the TRL of the solution proposed to fully commercial scale;
  5.  Potential supplier of each components and equipment proposed;
  6. Cost estimation. 

 

The proposal should not include any personal identifying information (name, username, company, address, phone, email, personal website, resume, etc.) or any information the Solvers may consider as their Intellectual Property they do not want to share.

Challenge rules

All proposers are invited to read carefully the challenge and the Regulation of this challenge, attached below in the Attachments section, before submitting a solution.

By submitting a solution they automatically accept the attached Regulations other than the Terms of Use of this platform.

Explain your proposal clearly and attach documents if needed (max 5 files, 25MB total size).

 

ELIGIBILITY

The employees of the companies of the Enel Group who are involved in the organization and management of the Competition or admitted to the Open Innovability Portal back office, as well as their spouses or partners and their relatives up to the fourth degree, are not eligible for participation in this Challenge.

Also, employees of Enel Green Power S.p.A. who have worked in the technical sector of the hybrid power plant innovation field and that work, in the moment of the competition, on hybrid power plant development activities, or their spouses, partners or any of their relatives up to the fourth grade determined according to Italian law are not eligible for the participation to this Challenge.

Without prejudice to the article 5.5 of the Terms of Use, the obligation to grant the IP rights set in this article does not apply if the winning solution is proposed by an employee of an Enel company, unless the employee is the owner of the solution according to the relevant national law.

 

CHALLENGE, AWARD, IP RIGHTS

This is an Ideation Challenge, which has the following unique features:

  • There is a guaranteed award for at least one solution. The awards will be paid to the best submission(s) as solely determined by the Seeker. The total payout will be $15,000. In case of multiple awarded solutions (maximum eleven (11)), there will be at least one submission receiving an award no smaller than $5,000, while the others won’t be smaller than $1,000.
  • The Solvers are not required to transfer exclusive intellectual property rights to the Seeker. Rather, by submitting a proposal, the Solver grants to the Seeker a royalty-free, perpetual, and non-exclusive license to use any information included in this proposal, including for promotional purposes.

 

Submissions to this Challenge must be received by 11:59 PM (Central European Time) on May 21, 2020. 

Late submissions will not be considered.

Specific regulation in the CSA attached at the bottom of this page.

What happens next?

After the Challenge deadline, the Seeker will complete the review process and make a decision with regards to the Winning Solution(s). All Solvers that submit a proposal will be notified on the status of their submissions. Furthermore, since this is an ideation challenge, Solvers will only receive an high level evaluation of each submission.

Enel will evaluate the proposal using the following criteria:

  • Overall scientific and technical feasibility of the proposed solution;
  • Economic potential of concept (e.g. Total Cost of Ownership);
  • Business potential for Enel;
  • Novelty and creativity;
  • Potential for proprietary position (i.e., is the technology novel or protectable);
  • User’s capabilities and related experience;
  • Realism of the proposed solution;
  • Maturity level of the proposal.

In case the reward includes “Collaboration with Enel”, once suitable solution/s have been identified, Enel will reserve the opportunity to start a collaboration, by way of example, all or part of the following activities:

  • Test execution;
  • Supply of prototypes (if an equipment);
  • Installation and site tests;
  • Follow up and monitoring of the proposed idea behavior.

Upon completion of the evaluation, you will receive feedback.

In case of success, an Enel contact person will get in touch with you to discuss the next steps.

The final award for this Challenge is contingent upon satisfactory completion of the verification process, including acceptance of the Challenge-Specific Agreement (CSA) that is the regulation for this Challenge.

The verification process includes obtaining the following from the Solver: signed affidavit (based on the CSA), employer waiver (if applicable), and proof of identify.

 

ABOUT INNOCENTIVE

InnoCentive collaborates with Enel to manage this challenge.

InnoCentive is the global innovation marketplace where creative minds solve some of the world's most important problems for cash awards up to $1 million. Commercial, governmental and humanitarian organizations engage with InnoCentive to solve problems that can impact humankind in areas ranging from the environment to medical advancements.

Attachments

Annex_PV profile

XLSX (0.02MB) Download

CSA Regulation Transitional hybrid Power Plant

PDF (0.3MB) Download

Annex Challenge Hybrid PP

PDF (0.3MB) Download

About the seeker Enel - Enel Green Power

PDF (0.23MB) Download