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This paper addresses the growing challenges and developments in frequency control within power systems influenced by the increasing penetration of renewable energy sources. It evaluates the advancements and limitations of renewable-based control technologies and explores the critical role of diverse energy storage technologies in providing fast frequency response ancillary services. Through a comprehensive analysis of the global literature, this paper categorises energy storage solutions according to their efficacy in meeting fast frequency response demands and potential for revenue generation. It reveals significant gaps in the current research, which predominantly focuses on battery energy storage systems and microgrid applications, with insufficient attention to grid-scale storage solutions and innovative energy storage technologies. This analysis identifies a lack of detailed technical simulations and hybrid storage models for frequency control, as well as a minimal exploration of the environmental benefits, particularly in terms of carbon dioxide emission reductions, associated with deploying new energy storage technologies in ancillary service markets. The paper concludes by emphasising the urgent need for further research incorporating detailed techno-economic evaluations and the carbon dioxide reduction potential of modular, scalable energy storage technologies, which should be facilitated by advanced network simulation models and comprehensive market analysis to drive future advancements in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high penetration level of photovoltaic (PV) generation in distribution networks not only brings benefits like carbon savings, but also induces undesirable outcomes, like more harmonic components and voltage fluctuations. Driven by decreasing costs of energy storage, the focus of this paper is to investigate the feasibility of applying energy storage in the grid-connected PV system to mitigate its intermittency. Firstly, to appreciate the functionality of storage, a generic PV-battery-supercapacitor model was simulated in MATLAB/Simulink, and a flat load profile was obtained to enhance predictability from the network management point of view. However, the usage of supercapacitors at the residential level is limited, due to its high startup costs. Secondly, a detailed residential PV-battery model was implemented in the System Advisor Model (SAM) based on local data in Dubai. The optimal sizing of a battery system was determined by assessing two criteria: The number of excursions, and average target power, which are contradictory in optimization process. Statistical indicators show that a properly sized battery system can alleviate network fluctuations. The proposed sizing method can be also applied to other PV-storage systems. Finally, economic studies of PV-battery system demonstrated its competitiveness against standalone PV systems under appropriate tariff incentives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emulsified oils are considered major environmental hazards. Biological treatment of these contaminants, using bacteria, is very effective, but the produced biomass does not have any obvious value. If oils can be removed by microalgae, the produced biomass in this case can be readily used to produce lipids that can be used for biodiesel production. The ability of two marine strains, namely Nannochloropsis sp. and Tetraselmis sp. to grow in water containing emulsified oil has been tested. The effectiveness of the selected strains to utilize the organics as a carbon source and reduce their concentration has also been assessed. The oil removal efficiency and cells growth rates were evaluated. Under the tested condition, the two strains were able to grow and reduce the oil concentration equally well, with Nannochloropsis sp. performing slightly better. The positive outputs from this work benefit the energy and wastewater treatment sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]