Solving Great Britain's growing spinning reserve challenge
16/10/2017 Stratus Technologies Systems Ltd
The transmission system in Great Britain (GB) is facing a growing stability challenge due to the loss of spinning reserve as it embraces renewable energy. Ofgem's Electricity Network Innovation Competition (NIC) is leading the quest for possible solutions and has funded SP Transmission's Phoenix project to deploy the world's first Hybrid Synchronous Compensator.Renewable energy resources are now responsible for some 25 percent of Great Britain's electricity generation, demonstrating steady progress towards a greener grid. That's good news for the environment. However, it also represents a challenge for transmission network operators (TSOs) who have always relied on spinning reserve from traditional large-scale fossil-fuel and nuclear plants, which have the system inertia that ensures grid stability.
Spinning reserve
In simple terms, spinning reserve is unused generating capacity that is connected to the grid and is ticking over, making it available at a moment's notice to meet a sudden change in demand. Also known as 'inertia', it keeps the grid voltage and frequency within tightly controlled limits. If the grid strays outside these limits it can become unstable, potentially leading to outages
or blackout.
Momentum in the large rotating equipment used in thermal power stations has lots of inertia. It literally keeps spinning for a long time even when unpowered. In contrast, renewable energy has little or no inertia. For example, a passing cloud can cause the output from solar panels to decrease by 70 percent or more in only a minute. This is why the growing grid penetration of renewables now presents challenges to grid stability.
Today, no single technology solution is available to solve these rising challenges. Future power grids will need to include a number of complementary technologies. These include Synchronous Compensators (SCs), which are large rotating generators that have been used on networks for many years, as well as power electronic based FACTS (Flexible AC Transmission Systems) devices.
Hybrid Synchronous Compensator In response to the growing stability challenge,
ABB joined forces with project partners Scottish Power Energy Networks, National Grid, The University of Strathclyde and the Technical University of Denmark. The partners made a successful application in the Electricity Network
Innovation Competition (NIC) organized by Ofgem, the UK regulator for electricity and gas markets.
The team won funding for the Phoenix project to create the world's first Hybrid Synchronous Compensator (H-SC). Its innovative approach combines two technologies, a Synchronous Compensator (SC) and a static power electronic
compensator (STATCOM, FACTS device).
The H-SC will be deployed at a strategic point on the Scottish Power transmission network. The project's objective is to demonstrate the technical and economical capabilities of an H-SC to enhance system stability and security while maintaining power quality to minimize the risks of blackouts and delivering significant benefits to the GB network and its residents.
"We have the technological know-how and the experience within ABB," said Per Eckemark, Global Product Manager for FACTS. "We are very happy that customers like Scottish Power, National Grid, together with Ofgem, once again put their faith in ABB. It's a validation that innovation and persistence really pays off!"
Partnership working
Peter Jones, ABB Technology Strategy Manager, said: "These Network Innovation Competition (NIC) submissions demonstrate how ABB finds success by working very closely with our customers to bid jointly for innovation funding."
For more information, please contact:
Karen Strong
ABB Power Grids Division UK
Oulton Road
Stone
Staffordshire
ST15 0RS
Tel: +44 (0)1785 825050
Fax: +44 (0)1785 819019
Email: karen.strong@gb.abb.com
Web: www.abb.com
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