Management of the Electricity Supply in Alderney

Abstract

The energy system in islands usually relies upon the fossil fuel importation and, consequently has low security of supply as well as high and fluctuated costs. An alternative to address these problems is the development of a Renewable Energy (RE) system which can provide the whole electricity demand and can be funded through community owned investment. This master thesis aims to assess the feasibility of supplying the electricity demand of the Channel Island of Alderney by a combination of RE with energy storage. The island of Alderney is the most northerly of all the Channel Island and its location is perfect to harness onshore and offshore renewable resources. After assessing the different renewable resources and current energy storage technologies, this report proposes an energy system of 1.5MW anaerobic digester plant and a 475 kW solar PV park with NaS batteries to reduce the dependency on diesel and generate the Alderney electricity supply of 1.5MW. The feasibility of supplying the Alderney's electricity demand by the proposed energy scheme is assessed and it is concluded that the RE system is technically feasible. However, the main roadblock to its implementation is the socioeconomic constraint. This could be solved through community owned renewable energy system or with more community involvement in the Alderney's energy decisions such as the funding mechanism for the necessary grid upgrades to allow the safely operation and the connection of the RE system. The report concludes, after analysing different energy fuels such as diesel, hydrogen and other RE resources, that there are multiple options to supply the electricity demand in Alderney with important advantages in terms of cost, reliability and environmental impact. The proposed RE system could be one of the best alternatives to supply the island electricity with low-carbon fuel, high security of supply and stable prices.