The electricity system balancing is becoming increasingly challenging due to the integration of Renewable Energy Sources (RES). At the same time, the dependency of electricity network on gas supply system is expected to increase, as a result of employing flexible gas generators to support the electricity system balancing. Therefore the capability of the gas supply system to deliver gas to generators under a range of supply and demand scenarios is of a great importance. As potential solutions to improve security of gas and electricity supply, this paper investigates benefits of employing flexible multi-directional compressor stations as well as adopting a fully integrated approach to operate gas and electricity networks. A set of case studies for a GB gas and electricity networks in 2030 have been defined to quantify the value of an integrated operation paradigm versus sequential operation of gas and electricity networks. The results indicate there are significant overall system benefits (up to 65% in extreme cases) to be gained from integrated optimization of gas and electricity systems, emphasizing the important role of gas network infrastructure flexibility in efficiently accommodating the expected expansion of intermittent RES in future power systems

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A detailed investigation of the interaction between natural gas and power systems is necessary, due to the increasing interdependency of these vectors, especially in the context of renewable generations integration growth into the grid. In this study, an outer approximation with an equality relaxation decomposition method is proposed to solve a mixed-integer non-linear problem representing the operation of coupled natural gas and power systems. The proposed coupled modelling of natural gas and power systems is compared to decoupled operational modelling. It is demonstrated that operating gas and electricity as a coupled system resulted in about 7% of operational cost savings. In addition, the value of gas-related flexibility options, including flexible gas compressors, flexible gas generation plants, and gas interconnections, to the operation of natural gas and power systems is quantified for a 2030 GB energy system. It is shown that if the natural gas and power systems are flexible enough, the operation of the systems in the decoupled approach is almost the same as the coupled model and therefore there is no need to reform the current energy market framework to make the systems fully coupled.

Decarbonisation of the electricity system requires significant and continued investment in low-carbon energy sources and electrification of the heat and transport sectors. With diminishing output and shorter operating hours of conventional large-scale fossil fuel generators, there is a growing need and opportunity for other emerging technologies to provide flexibility in the context of grid support, balancing, security services, and investment options to support a cost-effective transition to a lower-carbon energy system. This article summarises the key findings from a range of studies investigating the potential benefits and challenges associated with the future low-carbon energy system. The key challenges associated with balancing local, national and regional objectives to minimise the overall cost of decarbonising the future energy system are also discussed. Furthermore, the paper highlights the importance of cross-energy vector flexibility, and coordination across electricity, heat, and gas systems which is critical for shaping the future low-carbon energy systems. Although most of the case studies presented in this article are based on the UK, and to some extent the EU decarbonisation pathways, the overall conclusions regarding the value of flexibility are relevant for the global energy transition.

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