News & Discussion: Electricity Infrastructure

[PeFe]

Another wind farm and large battery proposal wins planning approval from the state government.
From Renew Economy

Big wind farm and even bigger battery approved for South Australia




RES Australia plans to build a 183MW wind farm with a 215MW big battery near South Australia’s Barossa Valley have won development approval from the state government, the company said on Friday.

The approval comes some five months after the South Australia’s State Commission Assessment Panel resolved to grant development plan consent to the Twin Creek Wind Farm, subject to planning conditions, reserved matters and advisory notes.

The wind farm’s battery system stands to be one of the biggest in Australia and will more than match the capacity of the wind farm, which will host 51 turbines across various parcels of crop and sheep grazing land, spread across three council areas around 90km north of Adelaide.

The final specifications of the battery – and the amount of actual storage – will be decided based on the economics, storage need and likely what other rival storage projects are up to.

For RES Australia, the permitting of Twin Creek takes the company past 2GW of new renewable energy capacity approved for development, adding to recent approvals for the 176MW Pallamana solar farm in South Australia in July, and the 200MW Avonlie solar project in New South Wales.

Projects queue to take South Australia to 100 per cent renewables
Twin Creek is one of a number of huge renewable and storage projects proposed for South Australia, many of them waiting for an opportunity presented by a new transmission link to NSW, and the state Liberal government’s commitment to reach “net 100 per cent renewables” in South Australia in the next decade.

Twin Creek has not had an easy time winning over locals, however, with numerous concerns registered over its visual impact, impact on flora and fauna – and even on human health.

This opposition culminated in a locally sponsored legal bid to have the wind farm reclassified as a Category 3 development, which would have cleared the way to appeal its planning approval. That case was rejected by the state’s Environment Resources and Development Court in March.

In a statement, RES says it has fine-tuned the layout of the site through discussions with the local community, maintaining a 2km buffer from the nearest non-associated dwellings and limiting the number of turbines in biodiversity offset areas to preserve and protect wildlife.

“We are proud to say that we have taken every possible action to mitigate the impact of this development on the local wildlife and community,” says RES’s Twin Creek project manager Dan Leahy.

“Our aim is for Twin Creek to support the area’s biodiversity as well as its people, and the project will bring 160 construction jobs, followed by ongoing employment for 8 people. The local towns have seen a number of businesses close in recent years, and this project will provide a tremendous economic boost to the area.”

Project Energy Connect
The wind farm is also sited near to the proposed 275-kV transmission line linking South Australia and New South Wales, Project Energy Connect.

“To ensure continued investor confidence in the sector each and every project must be well-sited for both resource and grid connection,” RES Australia CEO Matt Rebbeck says.

“Current grid challenges, and growing appetite from Australian businesses for Power Purchase Agreements have also resulted in a strong demand for construction and asset management services provision from experienced partners who can manage long-term risks for investors.

“Leveraging the global expertise of the RES Group alongside the market-specific knowledge the team have established over the past decade in Australia, RES has achieved a portfolio of over 750MW of assets in operation, constructed or under construction,” he said.

https://reneweconomy.com.au/big-wind-fa ... lia-23638/

Plus another wind farm proposal in the Barossa Valley has had its planning permission withdrawn.
From The Barossa Light and Herald

Victory: Residents rejoice over Keyneton wind farm development pulled

The Keyneton wind farm battle has been won.

A decade of angst carried by Keyneton residents has blown away with state government's recent decision to "not grant" another extension for Pacific Hydro's approved wind farm.

The relieved group attribute the triumph to "people power".

Their continuous and lengthy fight to stop the 42-wind turbine development, earmarked for the Mount Lofty Ranges, was first celebrated over social media.

Long-time resident David Formby was stoked the development, first mooted in 2009, had "died and was buried". A phone call to Mr Formby by the developers last week alerted him of their decision to "not proceed with construction of its Keyneton wind farm".

He took to social media to share the news, resulting in a flood of rejoicing comments made.

Pacific Hydro's CEO Rachael Watson shared how the decision is "regrettable". She said the outcome follows a recent judgement made by Planning Minister Stephan Knoll "not to grant an extension of time for the Keyneton wind farm project". "...due to policy, commercial and grid connection changes outside its control, (Pacific Hydro) has not been able to meet the deadlines on the Keyneton wind farm project," she said.

Full article :https://www.barossaherald.com.au/story/ ... d/?cs=1430

[PeFe]

Article from Renew Economy discussing the "spot" price of electricity in South Australia in October.

South Australia had lowest cost of supply in main grid in October




The renewable energy state of South Australia recorded the lowest prices in Australia’s main grid in October, a month when it sourced well over half of its its electricity supply from wind and solar.

According to data from the Australian Energy Market Operator, the average spot price of electricity in the wholesale market in South Australia was $67.34/MWh, lower than Queensland, which has usually held the record in recent times courtesy of the government edict to its state owned generators to bid low, and which recorded $74.16/MWh.

The average spot price for the month of October in the other states in Australia’s National Electricity Market – NSW, Victoria and Tasmania – were all 50 per cent higher than South Australia, and all averaged above $100/MWh for the month. Hydro-dominated Tasmania had an average price of $107.68.



There is a lot more to be done, but it’s a significant result for South Australia, which has been bedevilled by high electricity costs for decades, due to its reliance on expensive gas. As far back as the 1970s the state has been looking at wind and other sources of energy that could provide a cheaper supply.

Now its switch to wind and solar is starting to deliver tangible benefits, as other states have to deal with the rising costs of coal and gas generation. If it continues like this, it will help debunk the commonly held idea that renewables inevitably push prices higher.

Wind and solar are now clearly the cheapest form of new generation across the country, and the cheapest form of any generation in South Australia. So much so that the state Liberal government has set an aspirational target of “net 100 per cent renewables”, a level it will likely reach within a decade.

Gas is playing a declining role in the state, and this will diminish further as the share of wind and solar increases, more storage is added, and AEMO further relaxes market constraints and new machinery such as synchronous condensers are installed that will allow gas generators to be switched off for longer periods.

Full article : https://reneweconomy.com.au/south-austr ... ber-25382/

[PeFe]

New gas plant opens on Torrens Island near Port Adelaide.

This will be South Australia's last fossil fuel plant.......that's my prediction.

Very expensive according to the article, $150 mwh.......that compares to $50mwh for solar and wind. Bring on the larger batteries and pumped hydro!

From Renew Economy

Taylor attends opening of large generator for first time as minister – a gas plant



AGL on Monday formally opened the first gas generator to join the country’s main grid since 2012, the $210 million Barker Inlet facility near Adelaide that has been built at a cost of $295 million.

Barker Inlet will specialise in delivering fast response to demand peaks and troughs, and is designed for a grid that is already dominated by wind and solar (South Australia sources well over 50 per cent of its supply from those variable sources) and the introduction of 5-minute settlement periods from the middle of next year.

It will also replace units at the ageing Torrens Island A gas generation units, which will close in 2020. It is the first new gas plant in the main grid since 2012, when the Mortlake facility in Victoria was opened. (Mortlake is operating at half capacity because of a long term outage to one of its units)

“At AGL we’re building new capacity and firming generation because we know this is what the market needs and today we are delivering on this commitment,” AGL CEO Brett Redman said.

“This power station is highly efficient, with generating units capable of operating at full capacity within five minutes of starting. This is something not capable from older coal and gas power stations.

“This is important, because it will allow us to provide a rapid response to changes in renewable generation supply and demand – particularly wind generation here in South Australia.”



Those comments were made in the presence of energy minister Angus Taylor (above, second left), attending the opening of a large generator in Australia for the first time since his appointment last August.

(He did attend the opening of the Thunderbolt run-of-river hydro power station in Tasmania last week, but that facility is sized at less than 1MW and is too small to be registered in the NEM).

Since the start of 2018, according to Clean Energy Council data, there have been some 60 large scale wind and solar farms have joined the grid, and many, including the Crookwell 2 wind farm in Taylor’s own electorate of Hume, have had official ceremonies. Taylor has not attended any of them.

That should be no surprise, given Taylor has made it clear that he thinks that there is too much wind and solar in the grid already, and has made his view clear that more “dispatchable” power is needed, and has criticised AGL for its decision to close the ageing and unreliable Liddell coal generator in NSW in early 2023.

“The Barker Inlet Power Station will ensure South Australians have access to increased firm generation that will lower prices and increase supply”, Taylor said in a statement.

“The station will be able to operate at full capacity in just 5 minutes. This rapid response time adds reliability to the grid, ensuring the lights stay on when solar and wind supply decreases.”

Taylor said at a press conference that Barker Inlet will provide “affordable” power to fill in the gaps between increasing amounts of wind and solar. But that requires clarification.

https://reneweconomy.com.au/taylor-atte ... ant-39677/

[rhino]

…. energy minister Angus Taylor attending the opening of a large generator in Australia for the first time since his appointment last August.

(He did attend the opening of the Thunderbolt run-of-river hydro power station in Tasmania last week, but that facility is sized at less than 1MW and is too small to be registered in the NEM).

Since the start of 2018, according to Clean Energy Council data, there have been some 60 large scale wind and solar farms have joined the grid, and many, including the Crookwell 2 wind farm in Taylor’s own electorate of Hume, have had official ceremonies. Taylor has not attended any of them.

Words fail me.

[JAKJ]

…. energy minister Angus Taylor attending the opening of a large generator in Australia for the first time since his appointment last August.

(He did attend the opening of the Thunderbolt run-of-river hydro power station in Tasmania last week, but that facility is sized at less than 1MW and is too small to be registered in the NEM).

Since the start of 2018, according to Clean Energy Council data, there have been some 60 large scale wind and solar farms have joined the grid, and many, including the Crookwell 2 wind farm in Taylor’s own electorate of Hume, have had official ceremonies. Taylor has not attended any of them.

Words fail me.

Yep, as bad as the MIA Marshall government. Really missing having Jay and Co in charge in SA, more and more the strength of their legacy is shining through and there was a real sense of excitement and momentum when they were in charge.

[SBD]

…. energy minister Angus Taylor attending the opening of a large generator in Australia for the first time since his appointment last August.

(He did attend the opening of the Thunderbolt run-of-river hydro power station in Tasmania last week, but that facility is sized at less than 1MW and is too small to be registered in the NEM).

Since the start of 2018, according to Clean Energy Council data, there have been some 60 large scale wind and solar farms have joined the grid, and many, including the Crookwell 2 wind farm in Taylor’s own electorate of Hume, have had official ceremonies. Taylor has not attended any of them.

Words fail me.

Yep, as bad as the MIA Marshall government. Really missing having Jay and Co in charge in SA, more and more the strength of their legacy is shining through and there was a real sense of excitement and momentum when they were in charge.

The full article included

South Australian Energy Minister Dan van Holst Pellekaan (pictured above right) said AGL’s investment was good news for the affordability and reliability of electricity supplies in South Australia, and would allow more renewables to be brought into the system. The state Liberal government aims to reach “net 100 per cent renewables” by around 2030.

This is really just AGL responding to the fact that some of the legacy generators it bought when state governments were selling are now reaching the ends of their lives (Torrens Island, Lidell etc). AGL is building what it needs to satisfy its customers. This smaller fast-start power station better suits its market (paired with AGL's wind farms) than a like-for-like replacement of Torrens Island A.

[PeFe]

Renew Economy waxing lyrical about the South Australian transition to renewable energy........a feel good article.

South Australia’s stunning renewable energy transition, and what comes next



The eyes of the energy world are upon it, but the renewable energy transition in South Australia is probably one of the misunderstood, misreported and under-appreciated achievements of our time.

South Australia, for those who have not been paying attention, has dumped coal and now sources more than half its generation from wind and solar, becoming a net exporter rather than an importer of electricity along the way.

It now has plans to make that share of renewables “net 100 per cent” in a decade, and a multiple of that in the future. Given its location, at the end of a long and skinny grid with little connection to other markets, it is truly remarkable – a

What is also remarkable – at least in the context of Australia’s political environment – is that this is a bipartisan effort. The team that led the transition plan for Jay Weatherill’s Labor government has largely been kept intact by Steve Marshall’s Liberal government that took power early last year.

Sure, Labor and the Liberals have bickered and continue to do so over various aspects of policy design (notably the use of “targets” and the role of a new inter-connector), but the current state Liberal government is clearly as keen on this transition as its Labor predecessors.

The reasons are obvious: Cheaper green power and an opportunity to rebuild the state’s manufacturing industry and bring in new business.

Last week, Richard Day, the director Low Carbon Industry Development in the Clean Energy Transition Division of the SA Department for Energy and Mining (whose lengthy title probably includes at least four words that would be banned in its federal equivalent) gave a fascinating and detailed look into how the transition has occurred, and what is next.

We’ve decided to pluck out what we consider to be the best graphs and tables from his presentation.



This first graph plots the transition over the past 15 years, from the time when the state relied on a dirty supply of coal, gas, and imports from Victoria, through its first phase of wind and solar growth, to the new phase which is seeing large-scale solar and the world’s biggest lithium-ion batter battery (and other battery installations) added to the growing suite of wind and rooftop solar.
Note that South Australia is now a net exporter of electricity, something it wants to expand greatly, which we will come to later.



In that 15 year period, the state has shifted from zero large-scale wind, solar and storage, to 2,675MW (and there is a lot more coming, see below). The first wind installation was at Starfish Hill in 2004, the latest is the Lincoln Gap wind farm and battery and the Willogeleche wind farm.

In 2017, the first big battery was installed at Hornsdale, followed by another battery the next year and the first large-scale wind farm. And there is a growing list of huge projects that combine wind, solar and various forms of storage – battery, pumped hydro and hydrogen – in the pipeline.

Full article : https://reneweconomy.com.au/south-austr ... ext-79597/

Yes I didn't post the whole article.....if you find that first bit interesting definitely click on the link for the rest.

[PeFe]

And the Lake Bonney wind farm battery is up and running.

Lake Bonney battery charges up for first time in South Australia



The Lake Bonney battery has charged up for the first time, marking the entry of the third big battery in the renewable energy state of South Australia’s main grid.

The 25MW/52MWh battery, owned and operate by Infigen Energy and located next to its 275MW Lake Bonney wind farm, soaked up about 21MW of demand in the 1130 interval on Wednesday, and 4.2MW in the following half hour period as it entered a next phase of testing before final commissioning.

About two hours later, it injected similar amounts back into the grid – so testing both its charging and discharging, load and generation. (Ironically, the load was done at around $50/MWh, and the discharge at minus $40/MWh. Clearly this is just testing because it will want to do it the other way around and charge at negative prices and discharge at higher prices).

The Lake Bonney battery – like just about every other wind, solar and battery project in Australia’s main grid – has experienced delays in connection and commissioning. It was expected to be online more than six months ago, but was only “energised and registered” last month.

Infigen Energy expects the commissioning to be complete in the next month or two, and first revenues – likely sourced from the FCAS market and storage and arbitrage – to all begin before Christmas. It is using Tesla Powerpack batteries.

The battery will add to the increasing dispatchable resources available to the Australian Energy Market Operator for this coming summer.



These include the original “Tesla big battery”, the 100MW/129MWh facility at the Hornsdale wind farm that remains the world’s biggest, and the 30MW/8MWh Dalrymple North battery next to the Wattle Point wind farm on the Yorke Peninsula.

AGL this week formally opened its 210MW fast-start gas generators at Barker Inlet, which will replace the ageing and slow-moving units at the Torrens Island A facility.

Over the longer term, a new 10MW/10MWh battery is being built and will soon be commissioned at the Lincoln Gap wind farm, and Sanjeev Gupta’s Simec Zen Energy plans a bigger 135MW battery at Port Augusta.

Tilt Renewables is also considering a 20MW/40MWh battery at its Snowtown wind park and Alinta has also signed up to a huge solar and battery park.

https://reneweconomy.com.au/lake-bonney ... lia-37264/

[PeFe]

Article from Renew Economy as to why the Tailem Bend Solar Farm turns itself off and on...

This solar farm has to switch off every second day due to negative prices



When Australia’s renewable energy portfolio reached its important milestone on Wednesday of providing 50 per cent of the main grid’s demand for the first time, one solar farm couldn’t be part of the fun, and had to look on from the sidelines.

The sight of wind and solar farms being switched off when wholesale electricity prices fall into negative territory has become increasingly common over the last few months, particularly in Queensland and South Australia.

But the facility that appears to have been affected the most has been the 95MW Tailem Bend solar farm in South Australia, owned by Vena Energy and operating since earlier this year.

Tailem Bend has an off-take agreement with Snowy Hydro that broadly requires it to switch off when wholesale electricity prices go into negative territory, although the details are likely to be more complex than that.

And Tailem Bend just so happens to be located in the state – South Australia – which already operates at more than 50 per renewables on a yearly average, and is often at more than 100 per cent, and so has the greatest propensity to experience negative prices.

Indeed, its average price for the month of October was lower than any other state in the main grid, including those dominated by coal. A month, incidentally, when South Australia’s grid emissions also fell, continuing the major reduction in emissions achieved over the last five years as coal was replaced by wind and solar.



But back to Tailem Bend. Over the last two months, negative prices have been occurring so often (due to low demand, good wind conditions and sunny skies) that this solar plant has been obliged to switch off virtually ever second day – on 14 different days in September and 18 days in October, and most days so far in November.

It’s common to see wind and solar farms switch off when prices go into negative territory, or get close to zero. It happens either because their off-take agreements oblige them to do so, or because they are “merchant” facilities that take the spot price and don’t want to be paying other parties to take their output if prices do go negative.

And they can also be “constrained” off due to a variety of often complex things happening on the grid.

Full article : https://reneweconomy.com.au/this-solar- ... ces-63529/

[Goodsy]

95MW of solar being shut off when the desal plant only needs 50MW to run at full capacity.. pretty stupid planning

[PeFe]

The problem may well lie with the business model Tailem bend Solar Farm are operating under. Sounds like they rely too much on the "spot" price ie the price electricity will go for on the open market when demand goes up (most extreme case scenario, summer heat wave where $14,000 mwh is the maximum allowed price)

Other solar farms rely on a different model where you enter into a long term contract to supply electricity (at a greatly reduced price compared to the "spot" price)

If the Desal plant needs 50mw they wont be buying it on the open market each day, they will do a 6 month contract with a retailer ( or apply to the Consumer Commission for permission to do a direct deal with a producer)

[Jaymz]

I'm far from an expert on the whole electricity grid and the complicated mess it's become, so please excuse my ignorance in asking.... BUT, once the planned interconnector between SA and NSW is completed, will projects like the one mentioned above then become necessary in exporting extra supply across the border? Were they hoping to get in on the current market, or looking into the future when the eastern states can no longer keep up with their demand as coal is phased out?

[PeFe]

Tailem Bend Solar farm was built and planned for the South Australian market, the NSW interconnector was a far flung idea at the time.

Having said that there is also Heywood Connector which enables South Australia to export (max 650mw) into the National Electricity Market.

I am waiting to see the latest export figures, anecdotally I can tell you from looking at NEM chart each day (that details energy generation and export) that South Australia has spent autumn, winter and spring exporting electricity, mostly to Victoria is my guess.

The SA-NSW interconnector will be a milestone for renewable energy in South Australia when it is built, adding another 750mw in export capacity.
This has the potential for another boom in solar/wind farms and batteries. The Neoen proposal at Burra is particularly exciting (scrawl back in the posts to find it...)

[Goodsy]

Tailem Bend Solar farm was built and planned for the South Australian market, the NSW interconnector was a far flung idea at the time.

Having said that there is also Heywood Connector which enables South Australia to export (max 650mw) into the National Electricity Market.

I am waiting to see the latest export figures, anecdotally I can tell you from looking at NEM chart each day (that details energy generation and export) that South Australia has spent autumn, winter and spring exporting electricity, mostly to Victoria is my guess.

The SA-NSW interconnector will be a milestone for renewable energy in South Australia when it is built, adding another 750mw in export capacity.
This has the potential for another boom in solar/wind farms and batteries. The Neoen proposal at Burra is particularly exciting (scrawl back in the posts to find it...)

We export to Victoria and then Victoria can export it on to NSW

[Jaymz]

Tailem Bend Solar farm was built and planned for the South Australian market, the NSW interconnector was a far flung idea at the time.

Having said that there is also Heywood Connector which enables South Australia to export (max 650mw) into the National Electricity Market.

I am waiting to see the latest export figures, anecdotally I can tell you from looking at NEM chart each day (that details energy generation and export) that South Australia has spent autumn, winter and spring exporting electricity, mostly to Victoria is my guess.

The SA-NSW interconnector will be a milestone for renewable energy in South Australia when it is built, adding another 750mw in export capacity.
This has the potential for another boom in solar/wind farms and batteries. The Neoen proposal at Burra is particularly exciting (scrawl back in the posts to find it...)

We export to Victoria and then Victoria can export it on to NSW

Is it really that simple?

Like I said, i'm a novice on this topic. So what you're saying, Victoria is exporting S.A's surplus electricity from renewables to NSW?