Prospects for Renewable Energy in a Turbulent World: Canada as a Potential Clean Energy Super Power

动荡世界中的可再生能源前景：加拿大作为潜在的清洁能源超级大国

• 批准号: RGPIN-2021-02735
• 负责人: vanKooten, Gerrit
• 金额: $ 1.75万
• 依托单位: University of Victoria
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=751468
• 关键词: Prospects; Renewable; Energy; Turbulent; World

Alberta (AB) oil is considered dirty because it is extracted using steam created by burning natural gas. I address cleaner extraction by building on an AB model that I previously used to examine the penetration of intermittent renewable energy into electricity grids. I propose to extend my earlier NSERC-funded research by constructing a British Columbia (BC) grid model that includes operation of the major hydroelectric dams. The BC and AB grid models will be combined to explore the potential climate and economic benefits of using BC reservoirs for passive and active (pumped-hydro) storage of wind and solar electricity generated in AB. The combined, integrated grid (CIG) model will then be used to examine the potential consequences of drought (reduced river runoff) and enhanced warming (increased flows from faster glacier melt). The CIG model will be calibrated using positive mathematical programming-a technique developed in the operations research literature. Yet, it is important to recognize that the CIG model is foremost a policy model meant to guide decision makers. This proposal thus extends my previous research program in three important ways. (1) It develops an AB-BC CIG model, which is then (2) extended to include stronger interties to the U.S., especially California (CAL). The latter requires development of a simple grid model for the U.S. that provides information for determining expected demand for AB-BC electricity under various U.S. and CAL climate policy scenarios. The model can then be used to determine the extent to which BC and AB can export carbon-free energy to CAL. To extend the AB-BC CIG model would require greater details relating to current and future transmission interties throughout western Canada and into CAL, which would necessitate a great deal of data collection and programming in an Excel-R-GAMS software environment. (3) There is great potential to deploy Gen IV nuclear reactors in northern AB/Saskatchewan using uranium from local mines. Nuclear power can be used to extract petroleum from the oilsands. Uranium can be processed and recycled until the final waste is returned to the mines from which it came. This would facilitate production of oil in situ using a carbon-free technology, putting Alberta's dirty oil on an equal environmental footing as conventional oil. The availability of nuclear power could potentially provide an impetus to refine oil into various products in western Canada. Power could also be sold to CAL, which will be investigated using the extended CIG model. The investments needed to export carbon-free electricity will bolster Canada's lagging economy, boost economic development in northern Canada, and provide high-quality jobs. Energy exports will strengthen the waning dollar, reducing the costs of purchasing investment goods abroad. Investments in nuclear technology can incentivize energy R&D, providing Canada an opportunity to be a global leader in several areas of clean energy technology.

艾伯塔省 (AB) 石油被认为是肮脏的，因为它是使用燃烧天然气产生的蒸汽提取的。我通过建立 AB 模型来解决清洁提取问题，我之前用该模型来检查间歇性可再生能源对电网的渗透率。 我建议通过构建不列颠哥伦比亚省 (BC) 电网模型来扩展我之前由 NSERC 资助的研究，其中包括主要水力发电大坝的运营。 BC 和 AB 电网模型将结合起来，探索使用 BC 水库对 AB 产生的风能和太阳能进行被动和主动（抽水蓄能）存储的潜在气候和经济效益。然后，组合的综合网格（CIG）模型将用于研究干旱（河流径流减少）和变暖加剧（冰川加速融化导致流量增加）的潜在后果。 CIG 模型将使用正数学规划（一种在运筹学文献中开发的技术）进行校准。然而，重要的是要认识到 CIG 模型首先是一种旨在指导决策者的政策模型。因此，该提案在三个重要方面扩展了我之前的研究计划。 (1) 它开发了 AB-BC CIG 模型，然后 (2) 扩展到包括与美国，特别是加利福尼亚州 (CAL) 的更紧密的联系。后者需要为美国开发一个简单的电网模型，该模型提供用于确定在各种美国和 CAL 气候政策情景下对 AB-BC 电力的预期需求的信息。然后，该模型可用于确定 BC 和 AB 可以在多大程度上向 CAL 输出无碳能源。为了扩展 AB-BC CIG 模型，需要更多有关整个加拿大西部和 CAL 的当前和未来输电线路的详细信息，这将需要在 Excel-R-GAMS 软件环境中进行大量数据收集和编程。 (3) 在AB/萨斯喀彻温省北部利用当地矿山的铀部署第四代核反应堆的潜力巨大。核能可用于从油砂中提取石油。铀可以进行加工和回收，直到最终废物返回其来源的矿山。这将有助于利用无碳技术就地生产石油，使艾伯塔省的脏油与传统石油处于同等的环境基础上。核电的可用性可能会推动加拿大西部将石油提炼成各种产品。电力也可以出售给 CAL，后者将使用扩展的 CIG 模型进行调查。 出口无碳电力所需的投资将提振加拿大落后的经济，促进加拿大北部的经济发展，并提供高质量的就业机会。能源出口将增强美元的贬值，降低在国外购买投资品的成本。对核技术的投资可以激励能源研发，为加拿大提供成为清洁能源技术多个领域全球领导者的机会。