Early‐Stage Digital Engineering for Complex Energy Decarbonization Projects

This paper investigates the use of digital engineering (DE) to model and analyze complex energy decarbonization (CED) systems and projects. It presents the development of a cost‐effective analytical approach and an integrated digital environment designed specifically for small to medium enterprises (SMEs). The goal is to empower SMEs to offer impactful guidance on the design, implementation, and risk mitigation of CED initiatives. As climate change concerns intensify, the push for energy decarbonization is accelerating. These projects are inherently complex, often involving multiple sectors such as energy generation, transportation, and mining. DE provides a valuable opportunity to enhance systems engineering capabilities. However, due to the significant resources typically required, DE is usually the domain of governments and large corporations. This research aims to create an affordable DE methodology and toolset that enables SMEs to perform effective modeling and analysis of CED systems within their resource constraints. Using a Design Science Research (DSR) framework, a customized DE approach has been developed, leveraging accessible and low‐cost components. The proposed DE solution employs a commercial Model‐Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) tool that integrates analytical modeling capabilities through platforms like OpenModelica and open‐source operations research (OR) tools. Its modular design supports rapid, flexible development of tailored models and analyses. By promoting module reuse, the approach reduces costs and simplifies modeling complexity to align with analytical needs. Two case studies are presented to illustrate the feasibility and economic viability of this approach for SMEs.