Full Text Available

Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.

Real options valuation of a power generation project : a Monte Carlo approach

In today's economic environment characterised by change, uncertainty, and the need for flexibility, it is becoming important for decision makers to account for both uncertainty and the companys ability to react to new information. Real options has emerged as an approach that addresses this challenge...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Merven, Bruno
Other Authors: Becker, Ronald
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics 2024
Subjects:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1867613244696297472
access_status_str Open Access
author Merven, Bruno
author2 Becker, Ronald
author_browse Becker, Ronald
Merven, Bruno
author_facet Becker, Ronald
Merven, Bruno
author_sort Merven, Bruno
collection Thesis
description In today's economic environment characterised by change, uncertainty, and the need for flexibility, it is becoming important for decision makers to account for both uncertainty and the companys ability to react to new information. Real options has emerged as an approach that addresses this challenge by drawing parallels between the real economy and the use and valuation of financial options. Monte Carlo simulation is a powerful technique for option valuation, but because of its forward looking nature is normally applied when early exercise is not allowed. In the real economy, this would be limiting because flexibilities that exist are not normally constrained to particular exercise dates. The Least-Squares Monte Carlo (LSM) is an approach that allows for the valuation of options where early exercise is possible. In this thesis, we present an implementation of the LSM approach to the Real Options valuation of a project that involves the investment in a new open cycle (OCGT) gas power generation plant, used to supply peak electricity demand in an open electricity wholesale market. The embedded flexibilities that are considered are the option to expand, and the option to abandon the project. The uncertainties that the project is exposed to include: the cost of fuel, the price at which electricity is sold and the quantity of electricity sold each year. We show that the LSM approach offers several benefits for the valuation of such projects with complex payoff functions.
format Thesis
id oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/39392
institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:33:04.194Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2024
publishDateRange 2024
publishDateSort 2024
publisher Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics
publisherStr Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics
record_format dspace
source_str UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/39392 Real options valuation of a power generation project : a Monte Carlo approach Merven, Bruno Becker, Ronald Mathematics In today's economic environment characterised by change, uncertainty, and the need for flexibility, it is becoming important for decision makers to account for both uncertainty and the companys ability to react to new information. Real options has emerged as an approach that addresses this challenge by drawing parallels between the real economy and the use and valuation of financial options. Monte Carlo simulation is a powerful technique for option valuation, but because of its forward looking nature is normally applied when early exercise is not allowed. In the real economy, this would be limiting because flexibilities that exist are not normally constrained to particular exercise dates. The Least-Squares Monte Carlo (LSM) is an approach that allows for the valuation of options where early exercise is possible. In this thesis, we present an implementation of the LSM approach to the Real Options valuation of a project that involves the investment in a new open cycle (OCGT) gas power generation plant, used to supply peak electricity demand in an open electricity wholesale market. The embedded flexibilities that are considered are the option to expand, and the option to abandon the project. The uncertainties that the project is exposed to include: the cost of fuel, the price at which electricity is sold and the quantity of electricity sold each year. We show that the LSM approach offers several benefits for the valuation of such projects with complex payoff functions. 2024-04-17T13:58:13Z 2024-04-17T13:58:13Z 2008 2024-04-17T13:39:08Z Thesis / Dissertation Masters MSc http://hdl.handle.net/11427/39392 eng application/pdf Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics Faculty of Science
spellingShingle Mathematics
Merven, Bruno
Real options valuation of a power generation project : a Monte Carlo approach
thesis_degree_str Master's
title Real options valuation of a power generation project : a Monte Carlo approach
title_full Real options valuation of a power generation project : a Monte Carlo approach
title_fullStr Real options valuation of a power generation project : a Monte Carlo approach
title_full_unstemmed Real options valuation of a power generation project : a Monte Carlo approach
title_short Real options valuation of a power generation project : a Monte Carlo approach
title_sort real options valuation of a power generation project a monte carlo approach
topic Mathematics
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/39392
work_keys_str_mv AT mervenbruno realoptionsvaluationofapowergenerationprojectamontecarloapproach