Сколтех — новый технологический университет, созданный в 2011 году в Москве командой российских и зарубежных профессоров с мировым именем. Здесь преподают действующие ученые, студентам дана свобода в выборе дисциплин, обучение включает работу над собственным исследовательским проектом, стажировку в индустрии, предпринимательскую подготовку и постоянное нахождение в международной среде.

Архив метки: supergrid

Skoltech Center for Energy Systems held its 2nd International Conference

08/06/2016

On May 30-31, the Skoltech Center for Energy Systems hosted its second international conference entitled: “Shaping research in integrated gas-, heat- and electric- energy infrastructures”. The conference was jointly organized with the International Institute for Energy Systems Integration (iiESI).

This conference is a continuation of the successful event that took place in June 2015, where the modern mathematical methods applied to energy systems were largely discussed. This year, the internationally invited experts from around the world shared their experiences and discussed the prospects for integration of thermal, gas and electric power systems.

The technical committee of the conference included prof. Janusz Bialek, Director of the Skoltech Center for Energy Systems, his colleagues: prof. Michael Chertkov and prof. Aldo Bischi, and prof. Mark O’Malley, Director of the Research Center for Electric Power, University College Dublin.

During the first day and a half of the event ,the widely recognized scientists in the field from Russia, USA, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, UK, Ireland and Japan discussed the challenges and opportunities related to the integration of heat, gas and power infrastructures: Combined Cooling, Heat and Power (CCHP) units achieving higher efficiencies and lowering the environmental impact; fluctuating renewable energy sources as well as loads and prices; electric energy storage both conventional, e.g. electrochemical, and unconventional e.g. as synthetic fuels (hydrogen or synthetic methane) or as thermal energy via heat pumps; thermal energy storage both via buildings inertia and via dedicated heat storage tanks integrated in the district heating network; how to deal with emergencies and be sure to operate in a safe interval.

The 2^nd half of the second conference day was devoted to discussion of the techno-economic aspects and integrated energy infrastructures practical challenges from industrial point of view. The R&D Center of Federal Grid Company presented their research activities as well as the multi-utility company IREN (Italy). IREN is active in more than ten EU projects and brought a real world example from the Turin district heating network integration with advanced heat storage configurations and consequent power plants flexibilization with emissions reduction. A representative from DNV GL (USA) gave a talk on modeling of gas compression station. Nomura Research Institute (Japan) and University of Bologna (Italy) spinoff, OPTIT were also present; the latter developing software for distributed power generation optimization. Also the non-commercial Association “NP Market Council”, the Design and Analytical Company “LORES”, the startup “Thermal Motors” LLC (co-founded by Skoltech student Dmitry Smirnov) and their colleagues from the Italian AB Gruppo, which will soon open an office in Moscow, participated in the so-called round table discussion to voice the existing barriers and opted potential solutions in achieving the full scale energy systems integration. The conference participants expressed their great interest in this area, highlighting its great practical importance.

Professor Alexander Ustinov

Professor Alexander Ustinov, Deputy Director of the Skoltech Center for Energy Systems: “For us, the conference is of interest because by it means we are implementing one of the Skoltech functions – attracting the international expertise. This year we were able to assemble the world’s leading experts in the field of energy systems. Moreover, not only theoreticians, but also industry professionals with practical experience. There were interesting reports made by colleagues from Denmark, USA, Italy and Japan. So, the experience of creation of small-scale integrated power systems with the use of local resources, shared by the colleagues from Europe, which may look as far from us at first glance is, in fact, relevant to a number of isolated settlements in Yakutia and the Far East.

Participation of the Russian companies’ representatives in the industrial part of the conference, which can be viewed as both the consumers of technologies and developers of the unique solutions, allowed us to get a clearer picture of the landscape that exists today in the world and a place in the development of integrated energy systems, which belongs to Russia. The industrial program of the conference, in addition to the mutual acquaintance with experience, is valuable because of making contacts that could lead to joint projects. For Skoltech, this conference is interesting by the fact that we are bringing expertise and funds. Our University is a good partner to enter to the Russian market for our foreign partners.”

Vittorio Verda

Professor. Vittorio Verda, Polytechnic University Torino, Italy: “The field of my interests is design and modeling of district heating areas, including solutions in the field of thermal energy storage. This subject is very well developed in Russia and is important for me to share my knowledge in this field and to get acquainted with the opinion of colleagues. One could hardly find another such opportunity to meet in one place with a concentration of leading experts from the academic and industry practitioners and engineers. It is a good platform for the exchange of ideas and the emergence of joint research plans. For example, in the field of simulation of gas and electricity networks. If we talk about the fact that it was particularly interesting to me, it is, of course, attention and action that is paid to the reliability of the functioning of Russian district heating systems – we in the Mediterranean region do not have such developed and reliable systems, and we found here an interesting experience and good prospects for cooperation.”

Vladimir Shkatov

According to Vladimir Shkatov, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Association “Non-Commercial Partnership Market Council on the organization of an effective system of electric power wholesale and retail trade and power”: “It is obvious that the current state of energy puts on the agenda the issue of integration, since the division of systems is very expensive. Speaking of integration, we mean that it is desirable to design and operate the support systems (heat, gas, elector, water supply, transport and so on) on the basis of a common approach to the operation and design. At some point in time of the 1970’s, we have done just that. Now the question is more efficient use of all types of energy, synergy is particularly urgent. And this decision is no longer a technological aspect, as it was in the USSR, and the aspect related to the business and political components. For us, this conference is interesting because of the fact that there have been discussed both technical and business aspects of solutions to this problem. Besides, it is always interesting to look and hear the international experience. “

Northeast Asia Supergrid: Japan, South Korea and Russia mull Interconnected Power System at Skoltech Seminar

30/07/2014

Researchers from the Skoltech Center for Energy Systems and the Korea Energy Economics Institute (KEEI) study the potential benefits of an Asian Energy Supergrid

On July 24, 2014 the Skoltech Center for Energy Systems in collaboration with the En+ group of companies and the South Korean KEPCO corporation held an international seminar at the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology. The meeting started with a presentation of results of joint research by the Skoltech Center for Energy Systems and the Korea Energy Economics Institute (KEEI) conducted within a project of the Asian Energy Supergrid. The project considers the connection of unified energy system of Russia with Northeast Asian countries through a flexible connection of eastern Russia with the power systems of China, Korean Peninsula and, in perspective, Japan.

The participation of representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russian Federation put the Supergrid project in a broader international context. Dmitry Kulkin, First Secretary of Korean Division at First Asian Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, emphasized that the project is one of the most desirable areas of cooperation with Korean Peninsula countries.

The practical tone of the discussion was set by representatives of energy companies in Russia and Northeast Asia who are interested in transferring scientific Skoltech research to practice. Support for the project was expressed by the Director of Infrastructure Projects Department at Mitsui and Co. Moscow LLC Mr. Sugi Konosuke, En + Group Project “East” Director Alexander Sergeev, JSC “Evrosibenergo” Project Manager Vladimir Kiselev and by Rosatom Development Director Anna Kudryavtseva.

Suggestions for further project developments were made by the Deputy Director of the Russian Energy Agency under the Ministry of Energy Igor Kozhukhovsky, Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Energy Strategy and Energy Industry Development Vladimir Dzhangirov, Center for Strategic Studies President Advisor Dmitry Sanatov and Head of Regional Projects at Skolkovo Fund Ivan Ognev. Particularly, Vladimir Dzhangirov made a proposal to consider the establishment of Asian Energy Charter, which would enable to create the legal framework for international energy cooperation in the Asian region.

The research at Skoltech is carried out within the memorandum signed by Skoltech, En+ Group, and South Korea’s KEPCO during the visit of the Russian President to Korea in November 2013 for the preparation of proposals by oncoming visit of the President of the Republic of Korea.

“The concept of the energy bridge between Korea and Japan is very interesting from Japanese side as well (as from Korean side), and there are two reasons for that. One is practical aspect, which is transmission line system in Japan. Japan consists of four island, and even until now it is not wholly liberalized. There are 9 regional companies that have almost monopolies in each region. So practically that might not happen that power from the very North can be transmitted and sold to the most Southern part of Japan. And also there is an issue of difference in frequency. East side is working on 50 Hz frequency, while West side is working by 60 Hz frequency. Therefore while we pay much attention to the energy bridge from Sakhalin island to Hokkaido island, this import of energy from Korea to Japan should also be very beneficial for Japan.
Second aspect is political. Unfortunately the current political relations between Korea and Japan are slowing down, but these two countries are highly dependent on each other in trade and economy. In this regard, the establishment of economic cooperation, including the implementation of such projects, could strengthen political relations between our countries.” Sugi Konosuke, Infrastructure Projects Director at Mitsui and Co. Moscow LLC

The objective of the research is to develop options for electricity export from Russia to the Northeast Asian countries and recommendations for optimal routes of supplies. As possible alternative supplies to South Korea considered were three different options – undersea cable from Dalian (China) and two transit power lines from Russian Siberia and Far East through the territory of North Korea to Seoul (see the map).

The project’s profitability might be substantially increased with participation of Japan, with supplies by northern (undersea cable from Sakhalin) and the southern (undersea cable from RK through Kyushu to Honshu islands) routes.

Final results of this study will be presented to the Government of the Russian Federation at APEC Summit in November 2014.

* Skoltech currently operates 6 CREIs – Centers for Research, Innovation and Education – out of 15 that are planned to be established by 2020. These are the major components of the Skoltech concept – and its implementation. The CREIs are the institute’s major scientific growth engines as they pursue leading research in their fields, deliver world-class graduate education programs and generate results that can form the basis for innovation and entrepreneurship activities at Skoltech and in Russian industry. Importantly, CREIs will build capacity of all kinds at Skoltech, and will be designed to have broad impact on Russia. The centers address critical challenges in 5 major “Tracks”the institute focuses on: Information, Biomedicine, Energy, Space and Nuclear Science and Technology (as well as science cutting across these areas.) The establishment of CREIs is done in close cooperation with one (or more) international and Russian academic partner institutions. Skoltech believes this is the most efficient and fastest way to establish a new world-class graduate research university complementing the existing research and educational system in Russia and develop a gateway between Russia and the rest of the world.

* The Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech) is a private graduate research university in Skolkovo, Russia, a suburb of Moscow. Established in 2011 in collaboration with MIT, Skoltech educates global leaders in innovation, advances scientific knowledge, and fosters new technologies to address critical issues facing Russia and the world. Applying international research and educational models, the university integrates the best Russian scientific traditions with twenty-first century entrepreneurship and innovation.

Skoltech center for Energy Systems held a seminar on the Asian supergrid. July 24 2014, Moscow

Building Bridges to Asia: Energy Systems Researcher Presents ‘Supergrid’ Study in Korea and Mongolia

20/07/2014

ICEE Conference in Jeju, South Korea. Panel session on proposed northeast Asian super-grid

ICEE Conference in Jeju, South Korea. Participants of panel session on proposed northeast Asian super-grid. Top row, second from left: Ksenia Kooshkina, Skoltech Center for Energy Systems

Bridge-building to research and industry communities worldwide is one of Skoltech’s core missions. And one of the most crucial – and pressing – applications of international cooperation is in the field of energy. What way forward should countries take in order to better utilize and share precious resources? Ksenia Kushkina, a project manager with the Skoltech Center for Energy Systems suggests that a proposed ‘North-East Asia Supergrid’, also known as the ‘Asian Energy Ring‘, could offer a good option. In a recent visit to Korea and Mongolia, Kooshkina presented her findings on the region’s energy needs – and how to efficiently address them by sharing and combining energy systems across borders.

The designers of the ‘super-grid’ propose to combine the power outputs of Siberia, the Russian Far East and Asia-Pacific countries such as China, Japan and South Korea. Kushkina participated in a panel session on the topic at the International Conference on Electrical Engineering in Jeju, South Korea last month (see image). The discussion involved, among others, representatives of research institutes, electrical equipment suppliers, energy companies and manufacturing corporations such as KEPCO (Korea), NARI Group (China) and EN+ Group (Russia).

Kushkina: “In Korea, we have presented the preliminary results of research on the effectiveness of interconnecting Russia, China, North Korea, South Korea and Japan. Our study shows that each country’s power systems will benefit. Our conclusions were further supported by the interest in the project from Korean, Chinese and Japanese companies”.

Skoltech research on modeling new electrical connections (such as the ‘Supergrid’ or ‘Asian Energy Ring’) was performed in the framework of the memorandum signed between Skoltech, En + Group and South Korea’s KEPCO during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Korea in November 2013. Now the team is hard at work, preparing further cooperation proposals ahead of a visit in Russia by the President of the Republic of Korea in 2014. Skoltech researchers are slated to present the results of the study at the “Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation” (APEC) summit in November 2014.