Optimal Operation of a CHP Plant for the Energy Balancing Market

For energy companies with a combined heat and power (CHP) plant and a heat storage device, the provision of balancing power provides additional revenue potential. Balancing power is needed to ensure a stable frequency if current generation differs from demand. In Germany, the responsible transmission system operator procures the needed type of reserve energy through an auction. To participate in the balancing market for minute reserve, energy companies have to submit a bid for a certain time frame of the following day that comprises a price and the amount of electricity at which power generation can be increased or decreased considering the expected load. Therefore, capacity allocation for the balancing market has to be considered simultaneously with the uncertain next day’s unit commitment of the CHP plant and the heat storage device. To support energy companies planning their bids, an optimization model is developed to determine the optimal bidding amount based on a forecasted market clearing price.