Long-term investment in low-carbon energy system resilient to climate change: Case study for Colombia and Peru

Fossil fuels have been, and continue to be, the main resources for energy production both in the world and in the South American region. The evidenced negative effects of carbon emission on the global climate and society demand a transition to an energy production that is both cost-efficient and environmentally friendly. Fortunately, there is a great opportunity in the South American region to diversify the generation matrix through the use of renewable resources. Achieving a large renewable energy penetration into the regional energy system requires understanding the effects of climate change, ranging from weather variability to climate disruptions, on the generation potential to ensure a sustainable and resilient energy supply. This study applies the linear programming cost-optimization model urbs to evaluate climate-resilient long-term investment for renewable power generation in Peru and Colombia. The model urbs explores new energy system configurations for the intertemporal planning horizon 2019-2050 modeled in four key representative periods, considering also an hourly spatial resolution which captures the variability of renewable energy sources. The objective is to determine future investment trajectories in renewable capacity expansion for critical climate change scenarios in Peru and Colombia by minimizing the net total costs of the investment and operating costs of the entire energy system. The resulting energy configurations are assessed and compared by their costs and ability to secure power supply in the presence of climate change.     «

Fossil fuels have been, and continue to be, the main resources for energy production both in the world and in the South American region. The evidenced negative effects of carbon emission on the global climate and society demand a transition to an energy production that is both cost-efficient and environmentally friendly. Fortunately, there is a great opportunity in the South American region to diversify the generation matrix through the use of renewable resources. Achieving a large renewable ene...     »