The Development of the Smart Gas Distribution: General Trends and the Latvian Context

Abstract

A necessity to reduce greenhouse gas (hereinafter – GHG) emissions and energy import dependency, while coping with increasing energy demand, affordability issues and many other factors, causes the European Union (hereinafter – EU) energy policy makers to identify development trends that would help harmonize future energy market and technological changes with ever growing pressure of universal data processing digitalisation. In order to stimulate data processing digitalisation in energy, the European Commission has proclaimed a support to the development of all kind of the smart energy systems, where simultaneous use of the natural gas and renewable gases (hereinafter – RG) will play one of the major sustainability ensuring roles. Firstly, it will help achieve designated energy efficiency goals and, secondly, enable cost saving synergetic solutions at the early stages of the energy supply chain decarbonisation.Synergy of the natural gas and RG emphasises the need for a modern, smart and sustainable energy infrastructure to allow developing more flexible back-up and balancing power capacity, storage solutions and innovative demand-response mechanisms.This paper addresses some trends in development of the smart gas distribution (hereinafter – SGD) as part of the smart energy systems both in the EU and Latvia, with a particular focus on smart energy concepts, smart gas metering and grid modernisation.

Evolving Concept of Energy Communities in the European Union

“…This can lead to significant cost savings and increase the percentage of green energy [16], as well as provide an opportunity for alternative energy system organisation and management methods in the future: smart energy transmission, distribution and metering [17], [18], digital twinning, introduction of green energy sources, for example, gases, in conventional energy distribution and transmission networks [19]- [22]. In future, it could also help minimise impact of energy delivery disruptions during local energy crisis that could occur in practically every centralised and extended energy delivery network [23].…”

Green and Sustainable Hydrogen in Emerging European Smart Energy Framework

“…The smart energy system concept in most cases addresses cost-effective, highly digitalized RES-only based systems [19], with an inclusion of energy efficiency and infrastructure enhancement efforts. However, not all interpretations of the concept are exclusively dealing with RES, as smart energy systems often are identified with maximally diversified, sustainable energy systems, where some forms of fossil fuel and, especially, energy storage, can or must be present [20].…”

“…As usage of natural gas in district heating is still rather widespread in the EU and the United Kingdom, the injecting of up to 10 % hydrogen by volume into the natural gas transportation and distribution networks would not require any major alterations to equipment and would significantly reduce CO 2 [36] for households and small business consumers. At the same time, injection of up to 10 % hydrogen into the natural gas networks would contribute not only to district heating companies and their clients, but also to local and individual heating system users.…”

Gas Distribution System of Latvia and its Transitional Challenges

“…The introduction of digital solutions into the distribution system has historically been the lowest priority, which still requires significant investments for the development of new and enhancement of existing IT systems. The exchange of information within systems is not always automated, human resources are often used where IT solutions can be a valid substitute for them [10].…”