Indirect Demand Response Potential of Large-Scale Chemical Processes

Abstract

The participation of power-intensive chemical processes in demand response programs is seen to provide grid stability and potentially reduce the operating costs of these processes. Large-scale processes that require intermediate products that can be produced by demand response scheduling of a suitable preprocess are an option to be utilized as grid energy storage. In this light, we determine the demand response potential of the novel process route of the production process of ethylene oxide that is coupled to a polymer electrolyte membrane electrolysis process through process-specific analysis and scenario-dependent economic evaluation. We apply an innovative combination of mathematical tools in the consecutive steps of a demand-side management framework. The sequential approach is able to break down the complexity of the demand response operation of such processes into manageable subproblems. The case study illustrates the approach and proves its general validity in quantifying the potential application of large-scale processes in demand response programs.