Expansion of the Balmorel-TIMES Database

Balmorel: Power system model | July 2019 - June 2020

The project is part of the Energy Partnership Programme between Viet Nam and Denmark – Development Engagement 1, a cooperation between the Danish Energy Agency (DEA) and the Renewable Energy Agency of Viet Nam (EREA) which has two overall objectives: 1) Capacity building for long-term energy sector planning and 2) Development of the Energy Outlook Report 2019 (EOR19).

Long-term energy system modelling with the optimization models Balmorel and TIMES lies at the foundation of the planning and policy design for Viet Nam’s pathways to a more sustainable energy system as described in the EOR19.

The previous system for energy modelling was strengthened by the creation of a Balmorel-TIMES database, which documents the scenario modelling for the EOR19, including both the inputs to the modelling in Balmorel and TIMES, as well as the main scenario results. Importantly, the data collected was thoroughly referenced, thus ensuring a transparent documentation of the data foundation, constituting an extensive documentation for the EOR19 and a basis for future modelling activities (e.g. PDP8 and future EOR reports). Moreover, the database has a user-friendly interface, to allow easy navigation and visualisation of the input data and results. The data collection and reporting process also allows for quality assurance and validation.  

The data included in the database comprises all the relevant inputs to the modelling, such as demand and fuel price projections, technical characteristics of plants, committed capacities, emissions factors and resource representation. Furthermore, the main results were documented, among which the annual energy mix, generation and transmission capacities, power prices, system costs etc.

The project ran from July 2019 to June 2020.