Operational flexibility of future generation portfolios using high spatial- and temporal-resolution wind data

Increasing amounts of variable renewable energy sources will cause fundamental and structural changes to thermal power plant operating regimes. Maintaining key reserve requirements will lead to an increase in power plant start-ups and cycling operations for some units. An enhanced unit commitment model with energy storage and flexible CO2 capture is formulated. High-resolution on-/offshore wind data for the UK, and probabilistic wind power forecast, model wind imbalances at operational timescales. The strategic use of flexible CO2 capture and energy storage helps maintain reserve levels, decreasing power plant cycling operations and wind curtailment. A temporally-explicit variability assessment of net demand illustrates the generation flexibility requirements and the non-linear impacts of increasing wind capacity on power plant operating regimes.