As a result of global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, future energy system designs must be investigated. However, previous studies in integrated generation and transmission expansion planning neglect indirect emissions and therefore the full global warming potential of system designs. We introduce a linear, single-stage integrated expansion planning model with respect to global warming potential of all components. Neglecting indirect emissions underestimates the global warming potential by more than 20% and the total cost by almost 10% in an exemplary showcase. The inclusion of indirect emissions tightens the emission budget and therefore leads to different system designs.

The successful realization of the climate goals agreed upon in the European Union’s COP21 commitments makes a fundamental change of the European energy system necessary. In particular, for a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions over 80%, the use of renewable energies must be increased not only in the electricity sector but also across all energy sectors, such as heat and mobility. Furthermore, a progressive integration of renewable energies increases the risk of congestions in the transmission grid and makes network expansion necessary. An efficient planning for future energy systems must comprise the coupling of energy sectors as well as interdependencies of generation and transmission grid infrastructure. However, in traditional energy system planning, these aspects are considered as decoupled. Therefore, the project PlaMES develops an approach for integrated planning of multi-energy systems on a European scale. This paper aims at analyzing the model requirements and describing the modeling approach.