Feasibility Assessment of a Proposed Solar Power Farm : Stora Enso Sweden Case Study

Sammanfattning

This study investigates the economic and practical potential of a 50 MWp solar farm aimed at providing electricity for a factory owned by Stora Enso in Skutskär, Sweden. By connecting the solar farm towards electricity consumption, there is an opportunity for the factory to drastically reduce its share of purchased electricity, which is of greater economic value than selling electricity, while still selling any surplus electricity to the grid. Using the simulation software PVsyst and Winsun PV, and climate data from the University of Gävle, the solar farm's electricity production is modeled and matched against the factory's electricity purchases of 2023 on an hourly basis. The results of the study show that the solar farm's conditions for connection towards consumption are very good, as it is very likely that the case will be classified as a non-concession-bound network. Depending on different cost scenarios, the cost of the solar farm in the form of levelized cost of electricity is calculated to range from 45.4 - 97.0 öre/kWh. The value of a saved kWh is calculated to be about 10 öre more than a sold kWh. The weighted value of a kWh produced by the solar farm regardless of whether it is sold or used to reduce consumption is calculated to be 50.32 - 52.64 öre. This means that even though the price difference between a saved and a sold kWh is significant, it is unlikely that the solar farm will be profitable in the current situation since the weighted value of produced electricity is only marginally higher than the cost of the best possible scenario. Since there is an obvious economic potential in reducing purchased electricity rather than selling it, the question of connecting a solar farm for consumption is still important, and the strategy has potential to become profitable in the future, should fees, interest rates, and benefits change favorably.