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commissioned by
AES, drawing on
BATTERIES: BEYOND THE SPIN
The dawning era of
research by Queen’s
University Belfast
€ 19M
RoCoF at higher System Non Synchronous renewables targets, through the DS3 programme. Whilst the system operators are right to explore a combination of options
Penetration (SNSP) levels: for managing RoCoF, the QUB study demonstrates how batteries can fully
replace the power and energy delivered by existing inertial
1. Increase generator tolerance to high response. On this basis, there is an opportunity to radically reduce the cost
RoCoF. Work is ongoing to incorporate an This initiative to demonstrate compliance is Maximum annual of SIR, a product costing consumers up to €19M/yr in 2019/20. Batteries will
increased RoCoF withstand level from 0.5 already approaching completion: additional savings to the
solutions are needed to achieve 75% SNSP require some remuneration for this service, but additional costs should be
to 1.0 Hz/s into the grid code, increasing consumer in 2019/20 low when stacked with services such as Fast Frequency Response (FFR).
system resilience to frequency events. and beyond.
1.4 Mt
By unlocking the potential of digital inertia, it is possible to refine operational
2. Reduce minimum generation level of constraints on the system. This will help reverse the current trend towards
The SIR (Synchronous Inertial Response) CO2 intensity of synchronous generators increasing, as CCGTs operate less
thermal plant or add new types of service is designed in part to incentivise
synchronous inertia. If CCGTs can run Additional CO2 efficiently to accommodate wind variation. Retirement or mothballing of less
both of these options for managing RoCoF, efficient thermal assets will enable remaining plants to operate more efficiently,
at lower part-loading, then there will be less compensating synchronous generators
avoided each year
displacement of wind generation, enabling with less cycling and no compromise on system stability.
directly for the provision of inertial
operation at higher SNSP. Alternative Batteries also offer system operators ultimate flexibility as a grid stability tool,
technologies include synchronous
response. AN END TO
operating predictably and consistently without inducing the power system
compensators, rotational stabilisers, OSCLILLATIONS oscillations which are currently experienced following system events.
compressed air energy storage or pumped
hydro storage. SO WHAT? FOUR POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS TO TAKE INERTIA ‘BEYOND THE SPIN’
3. Increase levels of synthetic / emulated inertia on the system. 1. DEFINE RESPONSE CHARACTERISTICS: Initiate a system-operator led study to define
optimal response characteristics for digital inertia. Conduct further field trials to prove capability.
The system operators on the island of Ireland (Eirgrid and SONI) have undertaken a major
study reviewing the ability of synthetic inertia to help keep RoCoF within manageable levels at 2. IMPROVE DETECTION AND COMPLIANCE: Conduct research to better detect RoCoF,
75% SNSP level. They concluded positively, provided that assets could provide partial response test compliance at finer time resolutions and consider introduction of emergency signals.
within 0.1 secs and full power delivery within 0.2 secs.
3. ENABLE SIR-FFR SUBSTITUTION: Open FFR to speed of response faster than 0.15
QUB research has demonstrated that on a recent system event (July 2017) the AES Kilroot seconds, to encompass inertial response. Calculate the technical exchange rate of FFR and SIR,
battery array responded in 0.04 to 0.06 seconds – well within the limits proposed by Eirgrid and
conducting technoeconomic research into the intersubstitutability of the products.
SONI. With the right control system in place, the battery at Kilroot could ramp to full power in
0.05 secs. Including the response time, this means that batteries can provide full power to the 4. SET NEXT SNSP TARGET: Study the potential for digital inertia to raise the bar further after
system within 0.1 secs, providing effective synthetic inertia. This is DIGITAL INERTIA. 2020, ensuring the Island of Ireland remains a world leader in grid decarbonisation.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
This is a story about what The Island of Ireland is a world leader in clean
power, achieving high levels of renewables
happens to the electricity system deployment thanks to progressive grid policy by
on the Island of Ireland in the Eirgrid and SONI. But this achievement poses a CHAPTER 1 INERTIAL What it is, why we need it p5
blink of an eye. When a power challenge to system stability – the amount of RESPONSE and how it can be provided
spinning generation on the system is reducing, fast.
station drops offline suddenly, With ever diminishing levels of “inertial response”, it differently with batteries
there is an immediate short-fall of is time to start looking at new ways of maintaining
system stability in the first half second following a
energy on the system. This could system fault.
cause other stations to follow suit CHAPTER 2 THE DIGITAL How Digital Inertia can reduce p9
In January 2016 AES completed the installation of a
if grid frequency drops too fast landmark 10MW battery energy storage system at
INERTIA cost and cut emissions in a
and too far. Fortunately, help is at Kilroot Power Station, Northern Ireland. This is the OPPORTUNITY high renewables, stable grid
hand from other spinning first fully commercial project in the UK and Ireland, system
and one of the largest in operation across Europe.
(synchronous) generators – which
use some of the kinetic energy Since then Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) have CHAPTER 3 WHAT What all of this means for the p12
undertaken research into the role of li-ion batteries
stored in their spinning rotors to in supporting power system operation, using data NEXT? Island of Ireland and GB:
help stabilise the grid. All this from the Kilroot array. This report communicates 4 recommendations to take
the implications of this research for policymakers,
occurs well within the first half a regulators and system operators. The primary focus
inertia “beyond the spin”
second – literally, the time it takes is on the All-Island electricity market in Northern
the human eye to blink. Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, with implications
additionally drawn out for the GB market. Welcome to the era of digital inertia…
BATTERIES: BEYOND THE SPIN 4
What it is, why we need it and
CHAPTER 1
INERTIAL how it can be provided
RESPONSE differently with batteries
Keeping the grid stable means matching supply 2. The nadir, the minimum level the grid In the face of increasing RoCoF, System Operators have two strategies for RoCoF management.
of and demand for energy, at all times. When frequency reaches during an event. Below These strategies can be deployed separately or together.
the system is balanced the frequency is stable at 50Hz, the potential for power stations to
around 50Hz. However when a power plant be tripped offline increases. STRATEGY 1: ADAPT STRATEGY 2: MANAGE
drops off the system, due to a sudden and
unexpected fault, there is an immediate short- This report focuses on the former: RoCoF. Increase generator tolerance to high Proactively manage RoCoF.
fall in energy. This causes the frequency of the RoCoF. The grid code has already been
system to start dropping. This drop must be amended to incorporate an increased RoCoF This can be provided through analogue or
Managing RoCoF is a growing challenge. As the
arrested and reversed to avoid a system failure. withstand level from 0.5 to 1.0 Hz/s, increasing digital inertia.
maximum amount of non-synchronous
generation – notably wind – allowed on the system resilience to frequency events.
There are two metrics of concern after a fault: grid increases, inertial response is eroded – However, additional solutions are needed to
increasing the threat to system security which achieve 75% SNSP and beyond.
1. RoCoF, the Rate of Change of Frequency,
RoCoF poses.
is how fast the frequency changes. If RoCoF
exceeds 1Hz/s, additional power stations
could be tripped offline and / or damaged.
ANALOGUE INERTIA DIGITAL INERTIA
PEAK RoCoF peaks within the first second following the fault event. Inertial
ROCOF response is all about minimising peak RoCoF during this short period Actively inject/remove power from
Passively provide instantaneous kinetic
of system vulnerability, as well as minimising the depth of the nadir. asynchronous plant on inertia timeframes
energy from rotating synchronous plant
Sample technologies: coal plant, CCGT, biomass Sample technologies: batteries, demand-side response,
50 interconnectors, wind energy…
plant, synchronous compensators, rotational
Hz
stabilisers, compressed air energy storage,
pumped hydro storage… Digital inertia can take different forms:
1. Frequency response: providing an enhanced
This is how RoCoF is currently managed, governor response (slow)
representing the status quo option; however, 2. RoCoF response: emulating the real inertial
NADIR as coal and gas plants come offline, it can no response (fast but unstable)
longer be taken for granted. The nature of the 3. Step response: effectively a combination of
response is not controllable, and instead is frequency and RoCoF response (fast but needs
EVENT: managed by physics. an engineering consensus).
START 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 10 15
Batteries can provide all forms.
Note: Although batteries do not provide spinning mass, what we are calling digital inertia response provides a service
BATTERIES: BEYOND THE SPIN which provides the same benefits - or greater - as inertia. 6
INERTIAL
UNDER THE STATUS QUO, ‘ANALOGUE INERTIA’ FROM SYNCHRONOUS GENERATORS
RESPONSE
HELPS MANAGE ROCOF, BUT BATTERIES PROVIDE AN EXCITING ALTERNATIVE
8
Simple. inertia machines” that must
a minimum number of synchronous generators to
be online all of the time. This also increases system be online at all times.
The reality is more complex…
resilience. Eirgrid and SONI Operation
Whilst Combined Cycle Gas Turbines (CCGTs) Constraints Update, July 2017
can operate flexibly and “on demand”, they are
most efficient when operating at their Maximum CO2 intensity of CCGT
Economic Rating, at which thermal efficiencies of DIGITAL INERTIA can reduce Operational Constraints on
up to 60% can be reached, corresponding to a the system, allowing older, less efficient plant to be retired 575 fleet in 2014/15.
Achievable in 2020.
minimum CO2 intensity of around 350kg/MWh. or mothballed. This has the potential for the CO2 intensity kg/MWh
When operating in different modes, such as step of the CCGT fleet to be arrested at around ‘14/15 levels. Tsagkaraki & Carollo (Incoteco),
Data: CER 2016 Fuel Mix Disclosure 2016 analysis of Eirgrid data
change or modulation, efficiency and emissions
performance drops off rapidly, particularly for Without reform, there is a risk that further wind
older generation technology. and solar deployment makes gas as polluting as coal Potential CO2 intensity
Early retirement or mothballing of less efficient thermal saving in 2020 compared
Since 2010 the electricity fuel mix on the Island
generation – a barrier to the Island of Ireland
decarbonising its electricity system, even if EU assets will enable the remaining plant to operate more 145 to Eirgrid projections
of Ireland has been a story of the rapid renewables targets are met. efficiently, with lower cycling and higher capacity factors. kg/MWh (720-575).
displacement of gas by wind (see chart right) – a
trend which is set to continue through to 2020. Similar findings are relevant for other emissions
Whilst the net effect of this has been to reduce affecting air quality – notably NOx and SOx. As of electricity demand met by a
CO2 emissions for the system as a whole, it has urban air quality rises up the policy agenda, the Adopting DIGITAL INERTIA facilitates more
leaner, cleaner CCGT
also caused CCGT plant to operate in an
increasingly variable way, reducing efficiency.
imperative to deploy smart technologies such as
battery storage to reduce air pollutants will only
renewables onto the system, helping achieve EU 2020
targets (assuming all renewables deployment displaces 28% fleet in 2020 (50% in 2016).
intensify. gas generation in fulfilling such targets). Eirgrid, All-Island Generation
Analysis of Eirgrid data by Tsagkaraki & Carollo Capacity Statement 2017-2026
of Incoteco shows that in the period 2014-15, The rapid deployment of Digital Inertia will
CCGT fleet average CO2 intensity was at an not only curb consumer costs, but will also Annual CO2 savings in 2020,
1.4
DIGITAL INERTIA can unlock the
average of 575 kg/MWh and by 2020 this is help boost the efficiency of the existing equivalent to annual emissions from
true system wide potential of
expected to increase to around 720 kg/MWh. thermal fleet, allowing policy objectives to the entire city of Cork.
renewables by making the
For reference, such emissions levels are be met and emissions to be cut even further. Mt/year
synchronous generator fleet cleaner. World Bank
comparable to new build coal-fired generation.
€ 19M emulate inertial response, with the potential to deliver full power
within 0.1 seconds. On this basis, there is an opportunity to radically
reduce the cost of SIR, a product costing the consumer up to €19M /
Inconsistent response
Further investigation also revealed that the responses of
generators varied significantly between the three events
emulated inertial response. Study is
now urgently needed in order to
identify up the optimal response
annum in 2019/20. Batteries will require some remuneration for this examined. This inconsistent and unexplained power response characteristics and to then codify
Maximum annual service, but additional costs should be low when stacked with services
savings to the such as Fast Frequency Response (FFR). In the longer term, there is an does not provide confidence in the quality of the inertial and these into a re-booted version of
consumer in 2019/20 opportunity to combine these services and procure them competitively frequency regulating response of ageing synchronous SIR and / or FFR.
against a technology-agnostic specification. generators at higher SNSP level.
1. DEFINE RESPONSE 2. IMPROVE DETECTION 3. ENABLE SIR-FFR 4. SET NEXT SNSP TARGET
CHARACTERISTICS AND COMPLIANCE SUBSTITUTION
• Initiate a system-operator led study • Conduct research on reducing • Extend FFR scalars to reward speed of • Study the potential for digital inertia to
to define optimal response timescales to detect RoCoF, and to response faster than 0.15 seconds, to raise the SNSP bar further after 2020.
characteristics for digital inertia, increase measurement accuracy encompass inertial response
• This will involve power system modelling at
which take advantage of the full
Calculate the “technical exchange rate” SNSPs beyond 75%.
WHAT?
•
flexibility of batteries to provide a • Evaluate the introduction of an
of FFR and SIR, conducting techno-
? range of dynamic responses. ‘emergency signal’ to reduce
economic research into the
detection times. This signal would be
• Conduct further field trials to prove interchangeability of the products.
triggered from transient detection,
capability, to include consideration
either through voltage or
of management of power
electronics controls interaction
synchronous machine power Further details on following page
measurements.
across the system.
• Further trials were recommended • The primary limiting factor on • To ensure a level-playing field between • The DS3 programme has set out an excellent
in the RoCoF Alternative Phase 2 digital inertia is the very high time technologies, overcoming the current and focused pathway to increase the SNSP
Study Report published by resolutions involved (millisecond- technology bias towards the incumbent. limit by 5% each year up to 2020. Now it’s
Eirgrid/SONI in March 2016. level). • This will stimulate competition and time to begin planning beyond 2020 – when
SNSP will need to increase beyond 75%.
WHY?
• Further work is needed under • This causes challenges both for ultimately offer consumers better value
ongoing DS3 Qualification Trials to assets to detect of for money. • As the cheapest form of any new power
test for inertial response. RoCoF/frequency deviations, and generation, wind and possibly solar will
also for the System Operators to continue to be deployed beyond 2020, even
test compliance with requirements in the absence of specific policy objectives.
for delivery.
• This will ensure that the Island of Ireland
remains a world leader in grid
decarbonisation.
WHO?
System Operator-led, with support of System Operators, industry and System Operators, with guidance from Policymaker-led, with support from System
industry and academia academia to partner industry and academia Operators and Regulators
BOTH THE LANGUAGE AND STRUCTURE OF DS3 ROCOF MANAGEMENT IS FRAMED AROUND INCUMBENT TECHNOLOGY.
Historically this was appropriate – but in the era of new technologies, old assumptions now need to be revisited. The current market boxes the battery industry
into framing their capability around ‘digital inertia’ – though ultimately the flexibility of control offered by batteries is superior to conventional analogue alternatives.
We appreciate that at this late stage in the DS3 process, it would be inappropriate to propose a 1. Extend FFR: Open FFR to 0.00 seconds to encompass inertial response.
radical structural change to address the inherent technology bias, such as removing SIR altogether. 2. Calculate the technical exchange rate of FFR and SIR: conduct technoeconomic research
However, to ensure a level playing field, the following refinements are recommended.
into the intersubstitutability of the products.
Brogan, Alikhanzadeh, Best, Morrow and Kubik (2017), Fast Everoze: Paul Reynolds, Joe Phillips, Felicity Jones, Thiebault Mura.
frequency response requirements for replacement of observed generator
response during under frequency transients.
Contributors
This report has been prepared and is issued in accordance with AES: Claire Addison, Colleen Lueken, Marek Kubik, Robin Duncan.
contract document AES001-P-01-B dated 25 July 2017, which QUB: John Morrow, Paul Brogan, Robert Best.
governs how and by whom this report should be read and used.
National Grid: Patrick Cassels.
© Everoze Partners Limited 2017