Senegal faces key expertise choices in its search for the optimum gas-to-power strategy

Senegal’s domestic gas reserves might be primarily used to supply electricity. Authorities count on that home gasoline infrastructure initiatives will come online between 2025 and 2026, offered there is not a delay. The monetization of these significant power resources is at the foundation of the government’s new gas-to-power ambitions.
In this context, the global expertise group Wärtsilä performed in-depth research that analyse the economic impression of the varied gas-to-power methods available to Senegal. Two very completely different technologies are competing to satisfy the country’s gas-to-power ambitions: Combined-cycle fuel turbines (CCGT) and Gas engines (ICE).
These studies have revealed very important system value differences between the two primary gas-to-power technologies the country is currently considering. Contrary to prevailing beliefs, gasoline engines are in reality a lot better suited than combined cycle gasoline turbines to harness power from Senegal’s new gas resources cost-effectively, the research reveals. Total price variations between the two applied sciences might attain as a lot as 480 million USD until 2035 relying on scenarios.
Two competing and very completely different technologies

The state-of-the-art vitality combine models developed by Wärtsilä, which builds customised power scenarios to establish the fee optimum way to ship new generation capacity for a specific nation, exhibits that ICE and CCGT technologies current significant price differences for the gas-to-power newbuild program working to 2035.
Although these two applied sciences are equally confirmed and reliable, they are very completely different in terms of the profiles by which they’ll operate. CCGT is a expertise that has been developed for the interconnected European electricity markets, where it could operate at 90% load factor always. On the other hand, flexible ICE expertise can function effectively in all working profiles, and seamlessly adapt itself to any other era applied sciences that may make up the country’s energy mix.
In specific our research reveals that when operating in an electrical energy community of restricted measurement similar to Senegal’s 1GW nationwide grid, counting on CCGTs to considerably increase the network capability could be extremely pricey in all possible eventualities.
Cost differences between the applied sciences are defined by a selection of components. First of all, sizzling climates negatively influence the output of gas turbines greater than it does that of gas engines.
Secondly, due to Senegal’s anticipated access to low cost domestic gasoline, the operating prices become less impactful than the investment costs. In different words, because low fuel costs lower operating costs, it’s financially sound for the nation to rely on ICE energy vegetation, which are inexpensive to build.
Technology modularity additionally performs a key position. Senegal is expected to require an additional 60-80 MW of technology capability each year to have the ability to meet the increasing demand. This is way decrease than the capacity of typical CCGTs vegetation which averages 300-400 MW that must be inbuilt one go, resulting in unnecessary expenditure. Engine energy vegetation, on the other hand, are modular, which means they can be constructed precisely as and when the country wants them, and further extended when required.
The numbers at play are important. pressure gauge 10 bar that If Senegal chooses to favour CCGT crops on the expense of ICE-gas, it will lead to as much as 240 million dollars of additional cost for the system by 2035. The price difference between the technologies can even enhance to 350 million USD in favor of ICE expertise if Senegal also chooses to build new renewable energy capacity within the next decade.
Risk-managing potential gasoline infrastructure delays

The growth of fuel infrastructure is a posh and lengthy endeavour. Program delays usually are not unusual, inflicting fuel provide disruptions that will have a huge monetary impression on the operation of CCGT plants.
Nigeria knows something about that. Only final year, vital gas provide issues have brought on shutdowns at some of the country’s largest fuel turbine power crops. Because Gas turbines operate on a continuous combustion process, they require a relentless supply of fuel and a stable dispatched load to generate consistent energy output. If the provision is disrupted, shutdowns occur, placing a great strain on the general system. ICE-Gas plants however, are designed to adjust their operational profile over time and enhance system flexibility. Because of their versatile working profile, they had been in a place to maintain a much greater stage of availability

The research took a deep dive to analyse the monetary influence of two years delay within the fuel infrastructure program. It demonstrates that if the country decides to speculate into gasoline engines, the worth of fuel delay can be 550 million dollars, whereas a system dominated by CCGTs would lead to a staggering 770 million dollars in extra value.
Whichever means you take a look at it, new ICE-Gas era capability will reduce the entire value of electrical energy in Senegal in all attainable situations. If Senegal is to satisfy electrical energy demand progress in a cost-optimal way, no much less than 300 MW of recent ICE-Gas capability will be required by 2026.
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