Embarking on the Asia Supergrid: Trade impact of carbon pricing on regional sustainability in northeast Asia

Under the rising pressure for low carbon energy transitions in Northeast Asia (NEA), interconnecting local power grids interstate trade allows to share reserve capacity and redistribute intermittent renewable across time zones, contributing regional sustainability. Using a linear programming model that minimizes total system costs meet hourly demand, we build hypothetical electricity transmission three urban demand centers China, South Korea, Japan test economic environmental competitiveness of trilateral with pricing. In perspective our results indicate enables cost savings at all levels CO2 prices tested (0–180USD/ton emitted) through more efficient fuel consumptions on an basis NEA level. However, ambitious pricing (above 90 USD/ton is still essential ensure equitable impacts participating nodes. While utilizes gaps resource availabilities technology nodes minimization, show inadequate leads extra thermal combustions level although emissions reduce.