National Grid ESO will use battery storage to restart a section of the electricity network in Scotland next year as part of its trials to energise the system using distributed generation.
The ESO has already used a small hydro generator to energise the network in the first of three trails being carried out in its Distributed ReStart project.
The £10.3 million Ofgem-funded project, which started in 2019, aims to explore the potential for restoration services to be provided by distributed energy sources such as wind, hydro, energy storage and other low carbon energy generators.
The project, which is being carried out in partnership with SP Energy Networks and energy consultancy TNEI, has already proved that it is possible to restart the transmission network from a distributed energy source – a world first.
In two further trials due to be carried out next year a 45MW biomass generator will be used to restart part of the network in Chapelcross, southwest Scotland, and an 11MVA battery energy storage system will restart an area in Redhouse, Fife.
It will be the first time that battery technology has been used to restart the electricity grid in the UK.
Peter Chandler, power system manager and lead for Distributed ReStart at National Grid ESO said: “Originally we were only planning to live trial two case studies, but the third is such an interesting innovation, and it will give such a shot in the arm for the industry about how this might be possible with convertor-connected technology such as batteries.”
The project is due to run until the end of June 2022, but the clock is ticking as the ESO sees the harnessing of distributed generation as a new component in meeting more stringent restart requirements in a new restoration standard that comes into force in 2026.
The standard is intended to reduce restoration times to within 24 hours for 60% of electricity demand, with 100% within five days, and ensure a consistent approach across all regions.
The ESO would like to have distributed generation as part of its restoration toolkit within the next two to three years, but providing the right incentives and contracts, and spreading the cost of implementation across the network are the biggest sticking points.