Strathclyde European Electricity Market Model: a 14-zone disaggregated GB model for adequacy and cost assessment of future decarbonisation pathways

The United Kingdom aims to decarbonise the power sector in Great Britain (GB) by 2030, which will see the rapid expansion of renewable energy sources. This will require an expansion of the electricity network in order to deliver this power from renewable generators located away from the main the demand centres. This work presents a disaggregated 14-region GB electricity system within a wider European electricity market model in order to assess future electricity system configurations of within-GB transmission availability.

The model’s alignment with GB’s National Energy System Operator’s future clean power scenarios has been validated in respect of use of unabated gas and CO2 emissions. Transmission availability sensitivity case studies show the impact on key variables such as CO2 emissions, curtailed low carbon energy, electricity imports and exports, and zonal marginal prices. These studies highlight significantly impacted curtailed energy and marginal prices when transmission availability is reduced throughout GB. This is of particular importance when considering reform of electricity market structures and can lead to increased costs for the system operator or loss of revenue to generation investors. The model further illustrates that key transmission upgrades will be required in the future electricity system.