| dc.description.abstract | As the Netherlands transitions toward a renewable electricity system, seasonal energy storage (SES) may play a key role in balancing seasonal supply and demand mismatches. This thesis assesses the market potential and economic viability of 600-hour electricity storage, trading in the Dutch day-ahead market under several scenarios. The research is conducted in three parts. First, a literature review was conducted, identifying five SES technologies. These include hydrogen storage, adiabatic compressed air, deep-ocean compressed air, and underground gravity energy storage systems. Their technological readiness and techno-economic parameters were considered. Second, using the EuroMod power system model, SES operation was simulated across five scenarios which differ in the total capacity of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and cross-border interconnection capacities. While the results focus on the Netherlands, modelling is conducted across all EU27 nations to account for international market coupling. Third, an economic assessment was conducted to assess whether seasonal storage trading on the Dutch day-ahead market is economically viable. Results show that SES revenues decrease both as a function of BESS capacity and international exchange capacities, with market saturation occurring between 2.3 and 4.7 GW of total SES capacity in the Netherlands. While SES can contribute in decreasing unmet demand, curtailment and price volatility, the economic analysis revealed a challenging business-case, with most SES technologies not being viable based on day-ahead arbitrage revenue alone. Only hydrogen-based systems in low-flexibility scenarios show positive Net Present Values (NPVs) up to a total of 4.7 GW in the Netherlands. The findings highlight the need for additional revenue streams or a modification to the market organisation to enable investment into SES for a reliable and renewable power system. | |
