IEA says flexibility is cogeneration’s ‘added value’

In a speech at the upcoming Cogen Europe Annual Conference in Brussels, Belgium, Jean-François Gagné, the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) head of energy technology policy, will point to system flexibility as an ‘unveiled added value’ of cogeneration.

Gagné will say that energy efficiency and system flexibility must be linked to support the energy transition, the IEA said. With its CHP/DHC Collaborative the agency aims to promote cogeneration’s ability to bridge heat and power systems as a significant contribution to achieving sustainable energy targets.

‘By linking electricity and heat systems, cogeneration can provide flexible and efficient generation solutions. The ability of a technology to be integrated with others to allow benefitting from a wider range of locally available energy sources and to adapt to varying demand requirements is being increasingly valued,’ Gagné said.

An IEA report, Linking Heat and Electricity Systems: Cogeneration and District Heating and Cooling Solutions for a Clean Energy Future, will be published in early May, the agency said.

Source: COSPP