IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/energy/v197y2020ics0360544220303339.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A simple-to-implement real options method for the energy sector

Author

Listed:
  • Locatelli, Giorgio
  • Mancini, Mauro
  • Lotti, Giovanni

Abstract

Investment appraisal methods based on real options are gaining popularity in academia, while the adoption by practitioners is still infrequent. Having in mind practitioners, the method is designed to be: conceptually easy to understand, based on realistic hypotheses and data available, able to provide quantitative indications and strategic guidelines. The method is based on a systematic simulation of several scenarios generated according to exercise thresholds of relevant investment parameters. An exercise threshold gives to the investors the exercise right of taking some decision, for instance building a power plant. An exercise threshold is therefore a rule to decide whether to exercise or not a certain option on the basis of the values of one or more state variables. Consequently, the probability distribution of the Net Present Value (or analogous indicator) of the investment is a function of the state variables and the exercise threshold. Systematically changing the exercise thresholds allow to (A) establishing the “real option value” and (B) calculate relevant indications about when and on which type of plant to invest. The method is presented in detail and applied to a case study assessing the investment appraisal of: coal plant, gas plant, large nuclear reactor and small modular reactor.

Suggested Citation

  • Locatelli, Giorgio & Mancini, Mauro & Lotti, Giovanni, 2020. "A simple-to-implement real options method for the energy sector," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 197(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:197:y:2020:i:c:s0360544220303339
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2020.117226
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544220303339
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.energy.2020.117226?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kroniger, Daniel & Madlener, Reinhard, 2014. "Hydrogen storage for wind parks: A real options evaluation for an optimal investment in more flexibility," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 931-946.
    2. Harris, Grant & Heptonstall, Phil & Gross, Robert & Handley, David, 2013. "Cost estimates for nuclear power in the UK," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 431-442.
    3. Giorgio Locatelli, 2018. "Why are Megaprojects, Including Nuclear Power Plants, Delivered Overbudget and Late? Reasons and Remedies," Papers 1802.07312, arXiv.org.
    4. Detert, Neal & Kotani, Koji, 2013. "Real options approach to renewable energy investments in Mongolia," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 136-150.
    5. Madlener, Reinhard & Stoverink, Simon, 2012. "Power plant investments in the Turkish electricity sector: A real options approach taking into account market liberalization," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 124-134.
    6. Kozlova, Mariia & Fleten, Stein-Erik & Hagspiel, Verena, 2019. "Investment timing and capacity choice under rate-of-return regulation for renewable energy support," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 174(C), pages 591-601.
    7. Locatelli, Giorgio & Boarin, Sara & Pellegrino, Francesco & Ricotti, Marco E., 2015. "Load following with Small Modular Reactors (SMR): A real options analysis," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 41-54.
    8. Alvarez, Luis H. R. & Stenbacka, Rune, 2001. "Adoption of uncertain multi-stage technology projects: a real options approach," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 35(1), pages 71-97, February.
    9. Locatelli, Giorgio & Mancini, Mauro, 2010. "Small-medium sized nuclear coal and gas power plant: A probabilistic analysis of their financial performances and influence of CO2 cost," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(10), pages 6360-6374, October.
    10. Eduardo S. Schwartz, 2004. "Patents and R&D as Real Options," Economic Notes, Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA, vol. 33(1), pages 23-54, February.
    11. Roques, F.A. & Nuttall, W.J. & Newbery, D.M., 2006. "Using Probabilistic Analysis to Value Power Generation Investments Under Uncertainty," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 0650, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    12. Henao, Alvin & Sauma, Enzo & Gonzalez, Angel, 2018. "Impact of introducing flexibility in the Colombian transmission expansion planning," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 157(C), pages 131-140.
    13. Yao, Xing & Fan, Ying & Xu, Yuan & Zhang, Xian & Zhu, Lei & Feng, Lianyong, 2019. "Is it worth to invest? -An evaluation of CTL-CCS project in China based on real options," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 182(C), pages 920-931.
    14. Richard Bellman, 1957. "On a Dynamic Programming Approach to the Caterer Problem--I," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 3(3), pages 270-278, April.
    15. Herui Cui & Tian Zhao & Ruirui Wu, 2018. "An Investment Feasibility Analysis of CCS Retrofit Based on a Two-Stage Compound Real Options Model," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-19, July.
    16. Mastropietro, Paolo & Barroso, Luiz A. & Batlle, Carlos, 2015. "Power transmission regulation in a liberalised context: An analysis of innovative solutions in South American markets," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 1-9.
    17. Fuss, Sabine & Szolgayova, Jana & Obersteiner, Michael & Gusti, Mykola, 2008. "Investment under market and climate policy uncertainty," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 85(8), pages 708-721, August.
    18. Zhang, M.M. & Zhou, P. & Zhou, D.Q., 2016. "A real options model for renewable energy investment with application to solar photovoltaic power generation in China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 213-226.
    19. Avinash K. Dixit & Robert S. Pindyck, 1994. "Investment under Uncertainty," Economics Books, Princeton University Press, edition 1, number 5474.
    20. Szolgayova, Jana & Fuss, Sabine & Obersteiner, Michael, 2008. "Assessing the effects of CO2 price caps on electricity investments--A real options analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(10), pages 3974-3981, October.
    21. Wang, Xingwei & Cai, Yanpeng & Dai, Chao, 2014. "Evaluating China's biomass power production investment based on a policy benefit real options model," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 751-761.
    22. Broadie, Mark & Detemple, Jerome, 1996. "American Option Valuation: New Bounds, Approximations, and a Comparison of Existing Methods," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 9(4), pages 1211-1250.
    23. Zhu, Lei & Fan, Ying, 2013. "Modelling the investment in carbon capture retrofits of pulverized coal-fired plants," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 66-75.
    24. Sainati, Tristano & Locatelli, Giorgio & Smith, Nigel, 2019. "Project financing in nuclear new build, why not? The legal and regulatory barriers," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 111-119.
    25. Horn, Anders & Kjærland, Frode & Molnár, Peter & Steen, Beate Wollen, 2015. "The use of real option theory in Scandinavia's largest companies," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 74-81.
    26. Longstaff, Francis A & Schwartz, Eduardo S, 2001. "Valuing American Options by Simulation: A Simple Least-Squares Approach," University of California at Los Angeles, Anderson Graduate School of Management qt43n1k4jb, Anderson Graduate School of Management, UCLA.
    27. Lars Stentoft, 2004. "Assessing the Least Squares Monte-Carlo Approach to American Option Valuation," Review of Derivatives Research, Springer, vol. 7(2), pages 129-168, August.
    28. Longstaff, Francis A & Schwartz, Eduardo S, 2001. "Valuing American Options by Simulation: A Simple Least-Squares Approach," Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 14(1), pages 113-147.
    29. Loncar, Dragan & Milovanovic, Ivan & Rakic, Biljana & Radjenovic, Tamara, 2017. "Compound real options valuation of renewable energy projects: The case of a wind farm in Serbia," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 354-367.
    30. Fishburn, Peter C, 1977. "Mean-Risk Analysis with Risk Associated with Below-Target Returns," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 67(2), pages 116-126, March.
    31. Roques, Fabien A., 2008. "Technology choices for new entrants in liberalized markets: The value of operating flexibility and contractual arrangements," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 16(4), pages 245-253, December.
    32. Fleten, Stein-Erik & Linnerud, Kristin & Molnár, Peter & Tandberg Nygaard, Maria, 2016. "Green electricity investment timing in practice: Real options or net present value?," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 116(P1), pages 498-506.
    33. Jaroslava Hlouskova & Stephan Kossmeier & Michael Obersteiner & Alexander Schnabl, 2005. "Real options and the value of generation capacity in the German electricity market," Review of Financial Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 14(3-4), pages 297-310.
    34. Pringles, Rolando & Olsina, Fernando & Garcés, Francisco, 2015. "Real option valuation of power transmission investments by stochastic simulation," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 215-226.
    35. Gamba, Andrea & Tesser, Matteo, 2009. "Structural estimation of real options models," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 798-816, April.
    36. Locatelli, Giorgio & Mancini, Mauro, 2011. "Large and small baseload power plants: Drivers to define the optimal portfolios," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(12), pages 7762-7775.
    37. Pringles, Rolando & Olsina, Fernando & Garcés, Francisco, 2014. "Designing regulatory frameworks for merchant transmission investments by real options analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 272-280.
    38. Rogge, Karoline S. & Hoffmann, Volker H., 2010. "The impact of the EU ETS on the sectoral innovation system for power generation technologies - Findings for Germany," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(12), pages 7639-7652, December.
    39. ShahNazari, Mahdi & McHugh, Adam & Maybee, Bryan & Whale, Jonathan, 2014. "The effect of political cycles on power investment decisions: Expectations over the repeal and reinstatement of carbon policy mechanisms in Australia," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 157-165.
    40. Graham, John R. & Harvey, Campbell R., 2001. "The theory and practice of corporate finance: evidence from the field," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(2-3), pages 187-243, May.
    41. Reuter, Wolf Heinrich & Fuss, Sabine & Szolgayová, Jana & Obersteiner, Michael, 2012. "Investment in wind power and pumped storage in a real options model," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 16(4), pages 2242-2248.
    42. Locatelli, Giorgio & Boarin, Sara & Fiordaliso, Andrea & Ricotti, Marco E., 2018. "Load following of Small Modular Reactors (SMR) by cogeneration of hydrogen: A techno-economic analysis," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 148(C), pages 494-505.
    43. Manuel Moreno & Javier Navas, 2003. "On the Robustness of Least-Squares Monte Carlo (LSM) for Pricing American Derivatives," Review of Derivatives Research, Springer, vol. 6(2), pages 107-128, May.
    44. Serra, Pablo, 2013. "Contract market power and its impact on the efficiency of the electricity sector," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 653-662.
    45. Zhou, Wenji & Zhu, Bing & Chen, Dingjiang & Zhao, Fangxian & Fei, Weiyang, 2014. "How policy choice affects investment in low-carbon technology: The case of CO2 capture in indirect coal liquefaction in China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 670-679.
    46. Black, Fischer & Scholes, Myron S, 1973. "The Pricing of Options and Corporate Liabilities," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 81(3), pages 637-654, May-June.
    47. Lars Stentoft, 2004. "Convergence of the Least Squares Monte Carlo Approach to American Option Valuation," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 50(9), pages 1193-1203, September.
    48. Muche, Thomas, 2009. "A real option-based simulation model to evaluate investments in pump storage plants," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(11), pages 4851-4862, November.
    49. Locatelli, Giorgio & Invernizzi, Diletta Colette & Mancini, Mauro, 2016. "Investment and risk appraisal in energy storage systems: A real options approach," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 114-131.
    50. Cox, John C. & Ross, Stephen A. & Rubinstein, Mark, 1979. "Option pricing: A simplified approach," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 7(3), pages 229-263, September.
    51. Shahnazari, Mahdi & McHugh, Adam & Maybee, Bryan & Whale, Jonathan, 2017. "Overlapping carbon pricing and renewable support schemes under political uncertainty: Global lessons from an Australian case study," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 200(C), pages 237-248.
    52. Santos, Lúcia & Soares, Isabel & Mendes, Carla & Ferreira, Paula, 2014. "Real Options versus Traditional Methods to assess Renewable Energy Projects," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 588-594.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Raisa Pérez-Vas & Félix Puime Guillén & Joaquín Enríquez-Díaz, 2021. "Valuation of a Company Producing and Trading Seaweed for Human Consumption: Classical Methods vs. Real Options," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-13, May.
    2. Raisa Pérez-Vas & Javier Hervés-Estévez & María Dolores Garza Gil & Raquel Fernández-González, 2024. "Valuation of an innovative investment project using real options approach: A case study of a viticulture company in Spain," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 70(2), pages 91-100.
    3. Lai, Chun Sing & Locatelli, Giorgio, 2021. "Valuing the option to prototype: A case study with Generation Integrated Energy Storage," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 217(C).
    4. Ravi Kashyap, 2022. "Options as Silver Bullets: Valuation of Term Loans, Inventory Management, Emissions Trading and Insurance Risk Mitigation using Option Theory," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 315(2), pages 1175-1215, August.
    5. Àlex Alonso-Travesset & Diederik Coppitters & Helena Martín & Jordi de la Hoz, 2023. "Economic and Regulatory Uncertainty in Renewable Energy System Design: A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-30, January.
    6. Biggins, Flora & Kataria, Mohit & Roberts, Diarmid & Brown, Dr Solomon, 2022. "Green hydrogen investments: Investigating the option to wait," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 241(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Zhang, M.M. & Wang, Qunwei & Zhou, Dequn & Ding, H., 2019. "Evaluating uncertain investment decisions in low-carbon transition toward renewable energy," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 240(C), pages 1049-1060.
    2. Zhang, M.M. & Zhou, D.Q. & Zhou, P. & Chen, H.T., 2017. "Optimal design of subsidy to stimulate renewable energy investments: The case of China," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 873-883.
    3. Mingming Zhang & Dequn Zhou & Hao Ding & Jingliang Jin, 2016. "Biomass Power Generation Investment in China: A Real Options Evaluation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(6), pages 1-22, June.
    4. Carmen Schiel & Simon Glöser-Chahoud & Frank Schultmann, 2019. "A real option application for emission control measures," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 89(3), pages 291-325, April.
    5. Chen, Siyuan & Zhang, Qi & Wang, Ge & Zhu, Lijing & Li, Yan, 2018. "Investment strategy for underground gas storage facilities based on real option model considering gas market reform in China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 132-142.
    6. Andrea Gamba & Nicola Fusari, 2009. "Valuing Modularity as a Real Option," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 55(11), pages 1877-1896, November.
    7. Penizzotto, F. & Pringles, R. & Olsina, F., 2019. "Real options valuation of photovoltaic power investments in existing buildings," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 1-1.
    8. Nelson Areal & Artur Rodrigues & Manuel Armada, 2008. "On improving the least squares Monte Carlo option valuation method," Review of Derivatives Research, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 119-151, March.
    9. Kozlova, Mariia, 2017. "Real option valuation in renewable energy literature: Research focus, trends and design," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 180-196.
    10. Zhang, Mingming & Liu, Liyun & Wang, Qunwei & Zhou, Dequn, 2020. "Valuing investment decisions of renewable energy projects considering changing volatility," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    11. Schachter, J.A. & Mancarella, P., 2016. "A critical review of Real Options thinking for valuing investment flexibility in Smart Grids and low carbon energy systems," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 261-271.
    12. Minqiang Li, 2010. "A quasi-analytical interpolation method for pricing American options under general multi-dimensional diffusion processes," Review of Derivatives Research, Springer, vol. 13(2), pages 177-217, July.
    13. Lai, Chun Sing & Locatelli, Giorgio, 2021. "Valuing the option to prototype: A case study with Generation Integrated Energy Storage," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 217(C).
    14. Zhang, M.M. & Zhou, P. & Zhou, D.Q., 2016. "A real options model for renewable energy investment with application to solar photovoltaic power generation in China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 213-226.
    15. Philipp N. Baecker, 2007. "Real Options and Intellectual Property," Lecture Notes in Economics and Mathematical Systems, Springer, number 978-3-540-48264-2, December.
    16. Linnerud, Kristin & Andersson, Ane Marte & Fleten, Stein-Erik, 2014. "Investment timing under uncertain renewable energy policy: An empirical study of small hydropower projects," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 154-164.
    17. Liu, Xiaoran & Ronn, Ehud I., 2020. "Using the binomial model for the valuation of real options in computing optimal subsidies for Chinese renewable energy investments," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    18. Assereto, Martina & Byrne, Julie, 2021. "No real option for solar in Ireland: A real option valuation of utility scale solar investment in Ireland," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    19. Mombello, Bruno & Olsina, Fernando & Pringles, Rolando, 2023. "Valuing photovoltaic power plants by compound real options," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).
    20. Maeda, Mansaku & Watts, David, 2019. "The unnoticed impact of long-term cost information on wind farms’ economic value in the USA. – A real option analysis," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 241(C), pages 540-547.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:197:y:2020:i:c:s0360544220303339. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/energy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.