High Resolution Techno-Economic Analysis of Future Power Network Development in Southeast Asia

This is Virio Andreyana Master Thesis for Masters in Renewable Energy Technology Southeast Asia, a region with a rapidly growing population and energy demand, is striving to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060 or sooner. This thesis develops a new Southeast Asia-wide electricity-only energy system model to assess the impact of an interregional grid development plan named the ASEAN Power Grid and strategies for the phase-out or phase-down of coal-fired power plants. A series of scenarios are made for comparison, spanning the years 2020 to 2050, with three network topologies and three decarbonization policy targets. These models are simplified to have 200 spatial nodes and a temporal resolution of three hours. However, due to the way the data is aggregated, they can be adjusted to achieve a higher resolution if needed. The results indicate that expanding grid interconnections enables the region to decarbonize while maintaining annual system costs within 20% of the baseline pathway. Moreover, the phase-out or reduction of coal-fired power plants is influenced not only by their efficiency and location but also by the ASEAN Power Grid. Enhanced grid interconnections extend the operational lifespan of coal-fired power plants while still achieving comparable decarbonization goals.