“World's first:” Hornsdale battery gets approval to provide critical inertia service to grid

The Hornsdale Power Reserve in South Australia, aka the “Tesla big battery”, has finally won approval to become the world’s first large battery to provide grid-scale inertial service.

The approval comes from the Australian Energy Market Operator after nearly two years of trial and error, and is considered another important step towards managing the electricity grid with 100 per cent renewable energy and no coal and gas generators in operation.

The Hornsdale battery, which is owned by Neoen and expanded to 150MW/193MWh in 2020 to help provide this additional service, will be the first of many such batteries to operate on what is known as an “advanced” or “grid-shaping” inverter.

This inverter is capable of providing many of the critical network services normally provided by thermal power, but requires detailed testing to help manage the transition from large spinning machines to precise digital technology.

The Hornsdale battery uses Tesla’s “virtual machine mode” technology, and this will be replicated in the Wallgrove battery in NSW, the new Broken Hill battery and Darlington Point battery project, and others that will be supported by a $100 million grant scheme led by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency.

AEMO says grid-forming inverters are critical to a successful transition from a coal-based grid to a grid that can average more than 90 percent wind and solar in less than a decade, and 100 percent “instant” renewable energy within three years. . .

“The strong collaboration with Neoen and support partners to develop an inertial-capable grid-scale battery demonstrates what can be achieved to support Australia’s once-in-a-century energy transformation,” AEMO CEO Daniel Westerman, AEMO CEO, said in a statement. .

The fact that the Hornsdale battery is the first to provide such a service on a large scale is no coincidence, as South Australia has the largest share of wind and solar in the world, with more than 64 percent provided by these “variable” renewable sources in the past 12 months. .

The Hornsdale battery will have the capacity to provide about 2,000 MW of equivalent inertia, or about 15 percent of the estimated shortfall in the state’s grid, which serves more than 1.7 million people and 150,000 businesses.

The minimum level of inertia, in conjunction with the frequency control service which can also be provided by the battery inverter, is required both during normal operation of the power grid and after major disturbances. Inertia is traditionally provided by gas or coal-fired generators.

“The shutdown of thermal power plants and the increasing volume of renewable energy resulted in a lack of inertia in the grid, a serious grid problem that batteries can now address,” Neoen said in a statement.

“In addressing these challenges, this innovative solution represents a breakthrough of global significance.”

ARENA CEO Darren Miller said the pioneering work at Hornsdale will demonstrate the full technical capabilities of what batteries can achieve with state-of-the-art inverter technology installed.

“Improving the economy of energy storage will be key in our transition to a high share of renewable electricity. We congratulate Neoen and all project partners on this remarkable achievement and look forward to more grid-scale batteries equipped with advanced inverter capabilities.”

Batteries can provide a number of different services to the network – energy arbitrage and storage, fast frequency response, and frequency regulation – but their full “value stack” is often not appreciated, because no market has yet been created for some of these services.

The Hornsdale battery expansion and inertial trials at Hornsdale were partially funded by the South Australian government ($15 million), ARENA ($8 million), and by the Clean Energy Finance Corporation through a long-term debt facility, its first investment in a stand-alone battery.

The joint statement said the important achievement was the result of two years of extensive testing, but in reality it consisted of detailed study, review and analysis of several hours of actual testing before AEMO and network operator ElectraNet could be satisfied with the results. .

The inertial service is already delivered by the large battery. But it will not be paid for such a service, because there is still no market for it. Grants and finance from governments and institutions are designed to cover costs.

“The Hornsdale Power Reserve is a remarkable demonstration of the changing role of the large-scale battery market in the race to achieve zero emissions,” CEFC boss Ian Learmonth said in a statement.

“There is no doubt that Australia needs a more robust modern power grid, backed by grid-scale storage, if we are to take full advantage of our renewable energy resources.”

“We are proving that our assets can replace fossil fuels not only in the production and storage of electricity, but also by providing all the essential services a power system needs to function, said Xavier Barbaro, chairman and CEO of Neoen.

“The Hornsdale Power Reserve was revolutionary when we reassigned it in 2017 and continues in its pioneering role,” added Tom Koutsantonis, South Australia’s energy minister, in a statement.

“This is leading inverter-based technology innovation – paving the way for more large-scale storage projects that are much needed both in Australia and beyond.

“Expanding the capabilities of the Hornsdale Power Reserve by enabling Virtual Machine Mode, a world’s first, further demonstrates South Australia’s commitment to global leadership in renewable energy adoption and integration to improve grid stability and energy reliability, while lowering electricity prices. for all South Australians.”

Giles Parkinson is the founder and editor of Renew Economy, as well as the founder of One Step Off The Grid and the founder/editor of the EV-focused The Driven. Giles has been a journalist for 40 years and is a former business editor and deputy editor of the Australian Financial Review.

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