Exploring Future Boat-to-Grid Revenue Streams, Battery health and Capacity in Sweden

Sammanfattning

With an increasing share of renewable energy sources and changing electricity consumption in homes, new demands are being placed on both the transmission network and the distribution network. The distribution network is not dimensioned to handle the increased and varied electricity production from photovoltaics and other renewable energy sources that are now being installed in more and more households. This change creates challenges because these energy sources cannot be controlled in the same way as traditional power plants, making electricity generation more unpredictable. At the same time, we are seeing a shift in electricity consumption in homes, with increased demand for electric car charging, smart home technologies and other new electrical appliances. This leads to higher and more varied loads on the distribution network, which was not originally designed to handle these new patterns of production and consumption. Coping with this new reality requires increased flexibility in the network. This means that the electricity network must be able to adapt quickly and efficiently to changes in both production and consumption. Flexibility solutions can range from smart grid technologies and battery storage to better control of electricity flows and flexible contracts with users and producers. These measures are essential to ensure a stable and reliable electricity supply in the future. Today, several actors are exploring vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology, where electric vehicles can feed electricity back into the grid. Another interesting possibility is Boat-to-Grid (B2G) technology, as boats are often parked for most of the year, their batteries can be used for energy storage and contribute to the grid. This could become a valuable resource to stabilize and support the grid when needed. This study investigated the potential of B2G technology in Sweden. The analysis focused on the future capacity that electric leisure boat batteries can contribute to the grid and exanimated the share of electric leisure boats expected in the future. The study also evaluated the impact of the integration of B2G services on battery health through open-source simulations. The study also investigated the earning potential for boat owners in different B2G markets. In addition, anticipated future electricity markets for B2G integration were examined to assess their impact on battery system performance, lifetime and potential revenue. To summarize, it was estimated that the battery of electric leisure boats in Sweden can contribute with 23 400 MWh (with climate bonus) and 5 300 MWh (without climate bonus). The study also showed that battery health is not significantly affected by offering grid support services. In some cases, battery health was actually improved by providing these services. This shows that B2G technology is not only sustainable but also potentially beneficial for battery performance over time. The study also showed that currently, the largest source of revenue for B2G services is the Frequency Containment Reserve (FCR), which stabilizes the grid frequency. However, the FCR market is expected to become saturated in the future as more players start offering similar services. As a result, other electricity markets and ancillary services, such as the flexibility market and voltage regulation, will play a larger role in the revenue streams of B2G solutions.