The 2050 Energy Infrastructure Outlook project provides data on the costs associated with key types of fixed energy infrastructure as well as identifying possible ‘grey areas’ where technology development could significantly influence cost and performance.The project gathered data on different types of infrastructure associated with electricity, gas, hydrogen and heat. It also looked at infrastructure types: transmission, distribution, storage, conversion and connections.The data itself looked at costs relating to capital, fixed/variable operating and maintenance, abandonment (‘infrastructure decommissioning’) and repurposing (‘altering existing infrastructure’).
This is the final report summarising the approach to the project, development of the data tool and the findings from evaluating technology development opportunities in the networks. In the report, sections 2 & 3 cover the scope and approach to the project including the test cases that were agreed in the earlier workshops. Section 4 describes the spatial analysis used to determine how the different vectors are affected by geography including a reference to the maps generated for the test projects in the tool. Sections 5 & 6 are concerned with the analysis undertaken by the project team and workshop groups in looking at near and longer term potential implications for network development. Sections 7 & 8 describe the database itself (the user manual will go into more detail on how to use the tool) and finally Sections 9 & 10 describe opportunities for future technology development and developments of the tool outside of the current scope, identified by the project team and the workshop group.
In order to ensure the project reflected the widest possible set of outcomes, a number of test cases of possible energy trajectories out to 2050 were developed with the ETI Steering Group through a workshop and with input from the project team. Key influencing factors taken into consideration were decisions over centralised v decentralised systems, particularly in relation to generation; decisions over ‘pipes v wires’, particularly in relation to hydrogen; and the extent to which space heating is electrified.The test cases wereHigh Electricity: a world in which electricity becomes the dominant energy vector requiring upgrading of related electricity infrastructure. This test case assumes a predominantly centralised approach to generation and transmission.High Heat: a world in whic...
This is the final report summarising the approach to the project, development of the data tool and the findings from evaluating technology development opportunities in the networks. In the report, sections 2 & 3 cover the scope and approach to the project including the test cases that were agreed in the earlier workshops. Section 4 describes the spatial analysis used to determine how the different vectors are affected by geography including a reference to the maps generated for the test projects in the tool. Sections 5 & 6 are concerned with the analysis undertaken by the project team and workshop groups in looking at near and longer term potential implications for network development. Sections 7 & 8 describe the database itself (the user manual will go into more detail on how to use the tool) and finally Sections 9 & 10 describe opportunities for future technology development and developments of the tool outside of the current scope, identified by the project team and the workshop group.
In order to ensure the project reflected the widest possible set of outcomes, a number of test cases of possible energy trajectories out to 2050 were developed with the ETI Steering Group through a workshop and with input from the project team. Key influencing factors taken into consideration were decisions over centralised v decentralised systems, particularly in relation to generation; decisions over ‘pipes v wires’, particularly in relation to hydrogen; and the extent to which space heating is electrified.The test cases wereHigh Electricity: a world in which electricity becomes the dominant energy vector requiring upgrading of related electricity infrastructure. This test case assumes a predominantly centralised approach to generation and transmission.High Heat: a world in whic...