News & Discussion: Electricity Infrastructure

[PeFe]

SA government have a new agreement with the Tesla big battery to reserve more capacity.

From Renew Economy

South Australia doubles size of reserve capacity deal with Hornsdale battery




The South Australia government and Neoen have agreed to double the size of the reserve capacity made available by the Tesla big battery at Hornsdale to ensure that the Australian Energy Market Operator has the resources to deal with any unexpected incidents in the grid.

The Hornsdale Power Reserve, as it is officially known, signed a 10-year contract for a total of $40 million with the state government in 2017 to provide reserve capacity of 70MW and 29MWh for AEMO to deploy when needed, such as when the major link to Victoria failed.

That landmark agreement was key to helping Neoen deliver the first big battery on Australia’s main grid and what was – for nearly three years- the biggest lithium-ion battery in the world.

Hornsdale was recently expanded from its original size of 100MW and 129MWh to 150MW and 194MWh, and is due to deliver new services to the grid.

And it seems that AEMO has seized that opportunity to secure extra capacity to deal with the potential shortfalls of inertia in the case of any more failures of the main transmission link, lifting the contracted reserve capacity to 130MW and 32.5MWh.

“On 30 September 2020, Hornsdale Power Reserve (HPR) and the South Australian Government agreed to increase the capacity reservation for HPR to 130MW (and 32.5MWh of energy storage) during any South Australia islanding event,” it says in a new report on system strength and inertia issues,” a new report on system strength and inertia reveals.


It is understood that the agreement is an interim measure while Electranet, the local transmission network, conducts a tender to source more fast frequency response services to address the inertia shortfalls identified by AEMO. Any dollar terms have not been released.

Despite the 10-year contract with the state government, the Hornsdale battery has so far delivered far more revenues in the frequency control and energy arbitrage markets than it has from the state government contract.

The inertia shortfall is likely to exist until a new link to South Australia is built – the $2.4 billion Project EnergyConnect – which is expected to alleviate system strength and inertia concerns. That new link is likely to be delivered by 2024/25, if approved by the energy regulators.

Neoen recently signed a deal with the Victorian state government for an even bigger battery to deliver more grid services to AEMO, this time allowing for the operating capacity of the main transmission link between Victoria and NSW to be expanded.

The contract for 250MW of capacity and 125MWh will attract a payment of $12.5 million a year and will pave the way for an even bigger battery – 300MW and 450MWh of storage to be built near Geelong. That project should be completed next year.

https://reneweconomy.com.au/south-austr ... ery-94726/

And Tilt Renewables have paid a huge fine for the inadequate operational settings of their wind farm during the 2016 storm that led to the major blackout.

Wind farm operator fined $1 million for breaching national energy rules before SA statewide blackout


A South Australian wind farm operator has been fined $1 million for contravening national electricity rules in the three years leading up to the 2016 statewide blackout.

The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) launched legal action against Snowtown Wind Farm Stage 2 (SWF2) last year, after turbines shut down unexpectedly.

The company was accused of supplying electricity to the grid despite not having protection system settings approved by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO).

According to the judgement, SWF2 was a wholly owned subsidiary of Trustpower Limited, a publicly listed New Zealand power company, at the relevant time.

The AER also launched legal action against three other wind farms — Hornsdale, Pacific Hydro's Clement's Gap and AGL's Hallett farms — but the outcomes of those cases have yet to be determined.

The blackout occurred on September 28, 2016, when extreme weather, described at the time as "twin tornadoes", caused major damage to electricity infrastructure, knocking down huge transmission lines.

The AER said a subsequent loss of wind generation then triggered the blackout, which left 850,000 customers without power.

SWF2 accepted the $1 million penalty for failing to adequately protect its wind farm from "abnormal voltage".

Justice Richard White said the contravention was "not deliberate" and the company "took prompt steps to rectify the situation".

The Federal Court today ordered the company — which has 90 wind turbines in SA's mid north — to implement a compliance program and hire an independent "compliance expert" to ensure it abides by the rules in the future.

The expert will then provide a written compliance report to the court after six months.

Justice White said the wind farm had low-voltage protection systems fitted to each of its turbines to protect "against abnormal voltage excursion of the power system" — but they were set at a lower threshold than required by the National Electricity Rules (NER).

"The ability of wind farm turbines to continue operating ('to ride through') periods of voltage fluctuations … is an important requirement for their connection to the power system in the NEM (National Electricity Market)," he wrote in his judgement.

"That feature reduces the ability of voltage disturbances arising from faults and other occurrences to cause cascading failures in the system and thereby enhances the ability of AEMO to maintain 'power system security' and, in particular, to avoid blackouts."

He said the NER "imposes an obligation" on generators of electricity, such as SWF2, to have protective systems in place to deal with episodes of abnormal voltage in the power system.

"The purpose of such systems is to ensure that the generating units remain in continuous operation during specified disturbances and thereby to assist AEMO in maintaining power system security," he said.

"On 28 September 2016, six under-voltage disturbances occurred on the power system within a period of approximately 90 seconds.

"In response to the sixth under-voltage disturbance, the [low-voltage protection system] was activated on 34 of the 37 turbines then in service, with the consequence that they shut down and ceased to supply active power to the power system.

"This was associated with the widespread electricity blackout which occurred in South Australia on that day."

Justice White ordered SWF2 to pay the "Commonwealth of Australia a pecuniary penalty of $1 million in respect of the contravention".

He also ordered SWF2 to pay the AER's court costs of $100,000.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-12-22/ ... t/13007234

[PeFe]

AGL has shortlisted companies to build the "big battery" on Torrens Island and the winner is NOT Tesla.

From In Daily

Global companies shortlisted to build huge Torrens Island battery
NEWS
AGL has shortlisted two major global energy storage companies to supply a huge battery system alongside its Torrens Island power station that will be more than twice the size of Tesla’s original 100 megawatt ‘Big Battery’ commissioned in the state’s Mid North in 2017.


AGL plans to build a 250MW battery at its Torrens Island Power Station. Picture: Tony Lewis/InDaily.
The energy utility today announced Wärtsilä and Fluence had been secured under non-exclusive framework agreements to supply up to 1000MW of grid-scale battery storage in Australia.

AGL unveiled plans in November to roll-out 850MW of energy storage capacity across the National Energy Market (NEM) by mid-2024.

The plan includes large battery storage systems adjacent to its power plants in SA, Victoria and NSW with the 250MW Torrens Island system set to be the largest.

Other systems are planned at Loy Yang A power station in Victoria (200MW), Liddell power station (150MW) and Broken Hill (50MW) in NSW.

Wärtsilä is a Finnish company with almost 20,000 employees worldwide and an Australian subsidiary based in Sydney.

Fluence is headquartered in the US and is owned by industry powerhouses Siemens and AES.

AGL Chief Operating Officer Markus Brokhof said Wärtsilä and Fluence were chosen through a competitive tender process for their capability, experience and pricing.

He said both companies were global leaders in energy storage technologies, ensuring the company was investing in the highest standards for performance, reliability and safety.

“This framework agreement is another example of AGL getting on with the business of energy transition and will enable delivery against our commitment to build 850MW of grid-scale battery storage by FY2024,” Brokhof said.

“We are already well advanced with our planning process and these framework agreements will reduce tender timeframes for individual projects, enabling faster project schedules and commercial operation.

“Our grid-scale battery plans provide critical firming capacity to the market and will play a leading role in the energy industry’s transition over the coming decades.”

Full Article : https://indaily.com.au/news/2021/01/14/ ... d-battery/

[PeFe]

And a new wind farm and battery proposal for the mid north.

From Renew Economy

New wind farm and big battery project seeks planning approval in South Australia



Another major wind farm accompanied by a big battery is seeking approval in South Australia, adding to the growing number of wind and solar and storage projects that will take the state beyond its target of net 100 pr cent renewable energy by 2030.

Georgetown Hills Renewable Energy, back by Macquarie Capital and Siemens Gamesa, is proposing a 270MW wind facility to be known as Carmody’s Hill, supported by a big battery of at least 128MW (with the hours of storage yet to be decided) to meet its requirements for fast frequency response.

Carmody’s Hill is located 180kms north of Adelaide in the state’s mid-north, where a number of projects – including the Hornsdale wind farm and big battery, as well as the Hallett and Snowtown wind farms are already located – and it will be jostling for position on the grid with a number of other big project proposals.

Georgetown Hills says other projects in the pipeline include the much bigger Crystal Brook and South Goyder projects – both proposed by Hornsdale owner Neoen – along with Robertstown Solar and Solar River, but it is confident that it will find space on the grid after the construction of the proposed new link to NSW and the creation of a local renewable energy zone.

The proposal for Carmody’s Hill was formally presented to the South Australia Planning Commission on Wednesday, and it says the plans allow for up to 45 wind turbines of up to 6.6MW in capacity on land primarily used for grazing.

The project was first proposed by Pacific Hydro more than a decade ago in 2009, when a smaller 140MW project was envisaged. But, like the South Goyder project now being built by Neoen, it was never developed.

Another major wind farm accompanied by a big battery is seeking approval in South Australia, adding to the growing number of wind and solar and storage projects that will take the state beyond its target of net 100 pr cent renewable energy by 2030.

Georgetown Hills Renewable Energy, back by Macquarie Capital and Siemens Gamesa, is proposing a 270MW wind facility to be known as Carmody’s Hill, supported by a big battery of at least 128MW (with the hours of storage yet to be decided) to meet its requirements for fast frequency response.

Carmody’s Hill is located 180kms north of Adelaide in the state’s mid-north, where a number of projects – including the Hornsdale wind farm and big battery, as well as the Hallett and Snowtown wind farms are already located – and it will be jostling for position on the grid with a number of other big project proposals.

Georgetown Hills says other projects in the pipeline include the much bigger Crystal Brook and South Goyder projects – both proposed by Hornsdale owner Neoen – along with Robertstown Solar and Solar River, but it is confident that it will find space on the grid after the construction of the proposed new link to NSW and the creation of a local renewable energy zone.

The proposal for Carmody’s Hill was formally presented to the South Australia Planning Commission on Wednesday, and it says the plans allow for up to 45 wind turbines of up to 6.6MW in capacity on land primarily used for grazing.

The project was first proposed by Pacific Hydro more than a decade ago in 2009, when a smaller 140MW project was envisaged. But, like the South Goyder project now being built by Neoen, it was never developed.

“In April 2019 Georgetown Hills Renewable Energy (GHRE) secured the options from Pacific Hydro to develop the wind farm with a reduced footprint, fewer turbines and the inclusion of a battery energy storage system,” it says in its application.

“Negotiations with land owners have been underway since late 2018 to secure new agreements for GRHE’s development proposal.”

All new wind and solar projects in the state are required by SA’s Office of the Technical Regulator to provide battery storage to meet fast frequency response requirements. Georgetown Hills says its battery will be sized to at least 128MW.

The project has an investment value of $350 million, but the proponents say it will have an economic benefit of $115 to $130 million for the council area and wider mid-north region over the 30 year life of the development.

“GHRE intends to commence construction of the Carmody’s Hill project within two years of obtaining development approval,” it says, although this timing will depend on its ability to lock in a power purchase agreement. “It is anticipated that construction would take approximately 18 months, with the project being commissioned in 2022/2023.”

The project will have the capacity to supply power to the equivalent of approximately 179,000 homes and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 688,000 tonnes per year.

https://reneweconomy.com.au/new-wind-fa ... australia/

[PeFe]

The electricity regulator will now allow more solar and wind to enter the electricity grid.
From Renew Economy

AEMO to allow more wind and solar in South Australia grid, needs less gas



The shackles on large scale wind and solar farms in South Australia are about to be loosened, with the Australian Energy Market Operator flagging that the maximum amount of large scale wind and solar allowed into the grid at any one time will be lifted by around 15 per cent.

AEMO’s current operating constraints allow for no more than 1750MW of large scale wind and solar (plus rooftop solar) to be generating at any one time, and for a certain amount of gas generators (usually around 300MW) to be operating to provide essential grid services.

Those restraints are about to be relaxed, and up to 2,000MW of wind and solar to generate at any one time, because newly installed synchronous condensers that are to come on line soon will provide some of the “synchronous” system services now provided by gas generators.

The current constraint has not stopped wind and solar providing more than 60 per cent of South Australia’s electricity demand over the last 12 months, and more than 100 per cent at certain times – usually from wind but also just from solar on occasions. See “World first”: South Australia achieves 100pct solar, and lowest prices in Australia

However, at times of strong winds and good sunshine, large scale wind and solar often has to scaled back to meet those grid constraints, which often lead to negative pricing events. Gas generators often have to be “directed” to stay on line to ensure the services are provided.



The two new synchronous condensers will begin operating at Davenport, near Port Augusta, close to the now closed Northern coal generator, at the end of April. Another two syncons – spinning machines that do not burn fuel – will come on line at at Robertstown at the end of May, allowing for constraints to be eased further and more wind and solar to be generated at any one time.

The shackles on large scale wind and solar farms in South Australia are about to be loosened, with the Australian Energy Market Operator flagging that the maximum amount of large scale wind and solar allowed into the grid at any one time will be lifted by around 15 per cent.

AEMO’s current operating constraints allow for no more than 1750MW of large scale wind and solar (plus rooftop solar) to be generating at any one time, and for a certain amount of gas generators (usually around 300MW) to be operating to provide essential grid services.

Those restraints are about to be relaxed, and up to 2,000MW of wind and solar to generate at any one time, because newly installed synchronous condensers that are to come on line soon will provide some of the “synchronous” system services now provided by gas generators.

The current constraint has not stopped wind and solar providing more than 60 per cent of South Australia’s electricity demand over the last 12 months, and more than 100 per cent at certain times – usually from wind but also just from solar on occasions. See “World first”: South Australia achieves 100pct solar, and lowest prices in Australia

However, at times of strong winds and good sunshine, large scale wind and solar often has to scaled back to meet those grid constraints, which often lead to negative pricing events. Gas generators often have to be “directed” to stay on line to ensure the services are provided.

The two new synchronous condensers will begin operating at Davenport, near Port Augusta, close to the now closed Northern coal generator, at the end of April. Another two syncons – spinning machines that do not burn fuel – will come on line at at Robertstown at the end of May, allowing for constraints to be eased further and more wind and solar to be generated at any one time.



South Australia currently has around 320MW of large scale solar, and more than 2,050MW of large scale wind capacity, but this will grow significantly over the next year with the 320MW hybrid Port Augusta Renewable Energy Hub near Port Augusta currently under construction, the second stage of the Lincoln Gap also being built, and the first 100MW stage of the massive Goyder South project also starting work, along with the 260MW Whyalla solar farm.

But there are many gigawatts of large scale wind and solar in the pipeline, some of them waiting for confirmation that the proposed new $2.4 billion link from Robertstown to Wagga Wagga in NSW, the 800MW Project EnergyConnect, will be built by 2023 or 2024.

The South Australian government has a target of “net 100 per cent renewables” (wind and solar) by 2030, but experts suggest it will reach that milestone before then. The government has a longer term target of 500 per cent renewables, or about 12GW of installed wind and solar capacity, as part of its plans to become a net exporter of clean energy, either through transmission links or the three green hydrogen hubs that it plans to create.


The first South Australia syncon on its way to market.

For those wanting more detail, energy expert Allan O’Neill canvasses the impact of the syncons, and other grid constraints, in this detailed analysis at WattClarity.

The shackles on large scale wind and solar farms in South Australia are about to be loosened, with the Australian Energy Market Operator flagging that the maximum amount of large scale wind and solar allowed into the grid at any one time will be lifted by around 15 per cent.

AEMO’s current operating constraints allow for no more than 1750MW of large scale wind and solar (plus rooftop solar) to be generating at any one time, and for a certain amount of gas generators (usually around 300MW) to be operating to provide essential grid services.

Those restraints are about to be relaxed, and up to 2,000MW of wind and solar to generate at any one time, because newly installed synchronous condensers that are to come on line soon will provide some of the “synchronous” system services now provided by gas generators.

The current constraint has not stopped wind and solar providing more than 60 per cent of South Australia’s electricity demand over the last 12 months, and more than 100 per cent at certain times – usually from wind but also just from solar on occasions. See “World first”: South Australia achieves 100pct solar, and lowest prices in Australia

However, at times of strong winds and good sunshine, large scale wind and solar often has to scaled back to meet those grid constraints, which often lead to negative pricing events. Gas generators often have to be “directed” to stay on line to ensure the services are provided.

The two new synchronous condensers will begin operating at Davenport, near Port Augusta, close to the now closed Northern coal generator, at the end of April. Another two syncons – spinning machines that do not burn fuel – will come on line at at Robertstown at the end of May, allowing for constraints to be eased further and more wind and solar to be generated at any one time.



South Australia currently has around 320MW of large scale solar, and more than 2,050MW of large scale wind capacity, but this will grow significantly over the next year with the 320MW hybrid Port Augusta Renewable Energy Hub near Port Augusta currently under construction, the second stage of the Lincoln Gap also being built, and the first 100MW stage of the massive Goyder South project also starting work, along with the 260MW Whyalla solar farm.

But there are many gigawatts of large scale wind and solar in the pipeline, some of them waiting for confirmation that the proposed new $2.4 billion link from Robertstown to Wagga Wagga in NSW, the 800MW Project EnergyConnect, will be built by 2023 or 2024.

The South Australian government has a target of “net 100 per cent renewables” (wind and solar) by 2030, but experts suggest it will reach that milestone before then. The government has a longer term target of 500 per cent renewables, or about 12GW of installed wind and solar capacity, as part of its plans to become a net exporter of clean energy, either through transmission links or the three green hydrogen hubs that it plans to create.


The first South Australia syncon on its way to market.
For those wanting more detail, energy expert Allan O’Neill canvasses the impact of the syncons, and other grid constraints, in this detailed analysis at WattClarity.


“The first key point here is that the limits on total non-synchronous generation – under “system normal” conditions, when there are no relevant transmission outages that might tighten the system security envelope, move to relatively high levels of 1,900-2,000 MW, compared to current limits of 1,300-1,700 MW very frequently observed in December (and in many other months),” he writes.

“This makes it seem very likely that after commissioning of the syncons – and assuming that these devices run more or less continuously – the updated system strength constraint will bind much less frequently than seen recently. (At least until additional renewable generation is commissioned in South Australia.)”

Around one dozen syncons have been installed elsewhere in the main Australian grid, but much of this has been on an “ad-hoc” basis under the controversial “do no harm” rules that network operators have criticised, and have suggested make the grid less stable rather than more secure.

https://reneweconomy.com.au/aemo-to-all ... -less-gas/

And a "smart" solar water heater trial is soon to start in South Australia

https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au/south- ... ay-sponge/

And a new facility to recycle disused solar panels is to be built in Lonsdale.

https://reneweconomy.com.au/australias- ... -adelaide/

[PeFe]

If you know anyone who receives a lot of South Australian government concessions and wants free solar panels....

From One Step Off The Grid

Low income households offered free solar in exchange for cost of living payments



South Australia has unveiled plans to boost its world-leading rooftop solar uptake further again, with a new pilot program offering the state’s low income households a free solar system in exchange for their concession payments.

The $4.35 million Switch to Solar program, announced by the Marshall Liberal government on the weekend, will offer 1000 free and fully installed solar systems to eligible households in lieu of annual Energy and Cost of Living concession payments over a period of 10 years.

According to the statement, this would mean swapping payments of up to $446.51 a year from the Cost of Living Concession and energy bill payments, for energy bill savings estimated at up to $890 a year.

“Customers could be more than $400 better off under this program annually – and this is after they forgo their concessions,” said South Australia’s minister for human services, Michelle Lensink, in a join statement with energy minister Dan van Holst Pellekaan.

“There is no doubt this is huge bill relief for the households that take part in this program.”

Van Holst Pellekaan added that the program was about extending the benefits of rooftop solar to more households, and in particular those which could least afford high energy bills.

“This program will allow us to deliver even larger bill savings for even more households,” the energy minister said.

The Switch to Solar pilot will be rolled out in a selection of suburbs and regions, which the government’s energy department says it chose based on where the network could best accommodate more distributed solar. They are:

Hope Valley, Banksia Park, Tea Tree Gully, Vista, Modbury, Modbury Heights, Modbury North, Felixstow, Campbelltown, Newton, Paradise, Athelstone, Dernancourt, Holden Hill, Highbury, Redwood Park and Ridgehaven and Goolwa and Hindmarsh Island in regional SA.

Eligible households will need to own their own home and not have an existing solar system. Meanwhile, a competitive tender process is being conducted via the SA Tenders and Contracts website for solar providers to deliver the program.

https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au/low-in ... -payments/

[PeFe]

The SA government has given approval for Neoen's Goyder South Proposal......probably the most exciting renewables project in South Australia at the moment.

From Renew Economy

Massive $3 billion wind, solar and battery project approved in South Australia



Giles Parkinson 11 March 2021

The South Australia government has given planning approval for the massive $3 billion Goyder South wind, solar and battery storage project that will help propel the state towards and beyond the state Liberal government’s target of “net” 100 per cent renewables.

Goyder South, being developed by French renewable group Neoen, which already operates the Hornsdale wind farm and the adjacent Hornsdale big battery, will feature up to 1200MW of wind energy, 600MW of solar, and up to 900MW of battery capacity, with likely two hours of storage (1,800MWh).

State energy minister Dan van Holst Pellekaan said the project, located near Burra, would create hundreds of jobs and was a key reason why the government was keen to build the new transmission link from South Australia to NSW.

“This, yet again, shines a light on the importance of the interconnector, which will deliver cheaper, cleaner electricity and regional employment,” he said in a statement.

“The Australian Energy Market Operator has deemed the SA-NSW Interconnector “critical” and a “no- regrets” project to help keep the lights on in South Australia.

“It’s also critical to secure projects such as Goyder, which can only grow to its $3 billion potential with the SA-NSW Interconnector.”

Van Holst Pellekaan also noted that the announced early closure of the Yallourn brown coal fired power station in Victoria presented a big opportunity for SA to stamp itself as an exporter of firmed renewable power.

“The closure of coal-fired generators interstate will continue and is one of the reasons to increase interconnection, so we can export more of our renewable energy into other states.”

However, both van Holst Pellekaan and the NSW energy minister Matt Kean have expressed frustration over the lengthy regulatory process – which along with a blow out in costs to $2.4 billion – had delayed final approvals for the project, despite AEMO insisting it was still important and valuable to support the renewables transition.

Goyder South has already landed a long term supply contract with the ACT government for a 100MW wind component, delivering a record low price of $44.97 per MWh, and because it is a fixed price over the term of the contract, translates into a price of around $35/MWh today.

Neoen hopes to begin construction of the first stage of the project, which will total up to 400MW, in the second half of 2022.

“We are extremely pleased to hear the positive decision on Goyder South,” said Louis de Sambucy, the managing director of Neoen Australia.

“We would like to thank the Goyder community and Council for their warm reception, as well as the South Australian government for its ongoing commitment to the transition to renewable energy.

“Goyder South will not only support South Australia in reaching its goal of net 100% renewables by 2030, it will deliver income security to farmers, as well as jobs to the Goyder region. We will now focus on achieving grid connection in cooperation with ElectraNet and the Australian Energy Market Operator.

De Sambucy also underlined his support for the new link to NSW, known as Project EnergyConnect, which he said was “vital to unlocking the full, future potential of Goyder South.” (The project is being built between Burra and Robertstown, where the propose link to NSW will start).

The statement from the minister’s office also said that planning approval has also been given to Origin Energy’s planned 150MW Morgan solar farm, which will also include a big battery.

https://reneweconomy.com.au/massive-3-b ... australia/

[Nort]

This seems like a really good plan. Keeps momentum with local renewable deployment, establishes a model for baseload energy generation powered by renewables, and puts us near the front of what could become a massive industry.

https://assets.website-files.com/5ec1ff ... s-plan.pdf

[PeFe]

AGL is going ahead with big battery build on Torrens Island. Not quite as big as some were forecasting...

From Renew Economy

AGL gives green light to 250MW Torrens big battery in South Australia

Energy utility AGL has given the green light to the 250MW Torrens big battery in South Australia, its second major big battery announcement in two days as it starts to accelerate its transition from a largely fossil fuel fleet to new technologies.

AGL CEO Brett Redman said a final investment decision had now been made, and construction of the Torrens big battery is expected to begin later this year, with completion in early 2023, about the time some of the current capacity at the Torrens Island gas generator will be retired.

However, in one important development, the storage duration of the 250MW battery will initially be for just one hour (250MWh), rather than the four hours (1,000MWh) flagged when the project was first unveiled last November, which would have made it the biggest battery in terms of megawatt hours in the country, and one of the biggest in the world.

This suggests, in contrast with the four hour battery it is planning at the Loy Yang generator in Victoria, for which it announced a planning application on Tuesday, that AGL is targeting shorter terms variations and opportunities in the South Australia market, although it has not ruled out expansion down the track.

Redman said the expansion to four hours storage would occur at a later time as market conditions changed. A similar approach is being taken at Liddell, where AGL plans a 150MW one hour battery before possibly expanding that facility to 500MW and up to four hours of storage.

Storage experts point out that the market signals for many aspects of battery storage are not yet developed, and most of the revenues are focused on the shorter timeframe, mostly through the various grid services market. And in the case of AGL at Torrens, the battery will play a supporting rather than primary role in the portfolio.

Redman said there is no direct funding support from the state government for the Torrens battery. “This is a project that stands on its own two feet,” he told reporters. “AGL is putting its money where it’s mouth is.”

AGL said in a statement that the Torrens battery would be the first of the 850MW network of battery development AGL plans to have under development.

“We put forward our vision for this project less than six months ago and with the hard work of our team and support from the South Australian government we are now ready to make this a reality,” he said.

“Generating more power from wind than any other state, we know this battery will be instrumental in maintaining reliable and affordable supply for households and businesses in South Australia in the years ahead.”


The Dalrymple battery in South Australia.

The Torrens battery is the first of a planned 850MW of new battery capacity to be built by AGL, with varying lengths of storage. It is also developing the 200MW battery at its Loy Yang A power station, the 150MW battery at its Liddell power station and a 50MW battery in Broken Hill as well as supporting grid-scale battery projects including Wandoan, Maoneng and Dalrymple.

AGL Chief Operating Officer, Markus Brokhof said battery technology is key to enhancing the energy system’s flexibility and driving the energy transition and ongoing integration of renewables.

AGL earlier this year entered into “framework agreements” with global energy storage technology companies, Wartsila and Fluence, but says it is currently finalising the provider arrangements for this project in order to begin construction.

The Torrens battery will be the fifth and the biggest big battery built in South Australia, following the Tesla big battery at Hornsdale, recently expanded to 150MW/194MW, the 25MW/52MWh Lake Bonney big battery, the 30MW/8MWh Dalrymple battery (also operated, although not owned, by AGL), and the 10MW/10MWh Lincoln Gap big battery, still stuck in a commissioning queue. More big battery projects are planned, including the biggest of them all, a possible 900MW/1800MWh battery at the massive Goyder South wind, solar and storage project.

South Australian Energy Minister Dan van Holst Pellekaan said the Torrens battery – which he described as a new ‘biggest battery’ and funded by the private sector – was a strong vote of confidence in the state’s government’s energy policies.

It also highlighted the evolution of energy technology, with Torrens Island transforming from a once “baseload” focused gas station, to a hybrid system focused on fast response and flexibility. It recently opened the 210MW Barkers Inlet fast start generator at the site.

“It is no longer about to turning on a gas generator and leaving it on for months …. this is about managing supply and demand minute by minute,” the minister said at the press launch.

Van Holst Pellekaan said in an earlier statement that investment shows the confidence the private sector has in South Australia’s energy sector, as a result of the world-leading well managed renewables focus of the Marshall Government,” the minister said.

“It’s great to see AGL investing in new storage assets at the same time that the average household cost of electricity has come down by an average of $269 per year. Our energy policies are working to deliver cleaner, more affordable and more reliable power for all South Australians.”

https://reneweconomy.com.au/agl-gives-g ... australia/

Also more on Labor's hydrogen proposal

S.A. Labor pitches state-owned hydrogen plant for storage, fix solar switch-off



South Australia’s Labor opposition party has pledged to build, own and operate a world leading renewable hydrogen power station if it wins the March 2022 state election, in an early and carefully targeted pitch to voters.

South Australia Labor on Tuesday unveiled its Hydrogen Jobs Plan, based around the development of 250MWe capacity of hydrogen electrolysers that would source the state’s excess wind and solar output.

The party would also build a Hydrogen Storage Facility that it says would hold the equivalent of two months’ operation or 3,600 tonnes of renewable hydrogen, providing additional capacity when required.

“Labor will establish Hydrogen Power SA to own and operate the hydrogen power station as a government enterprise on behalf of South Australians,” the statement said.

“Its mandate will be to rejuvenate manufacturing in South Australia by utilising hydrogen and the associated electricity generated to grow new jobs and industries.”

The announcement from South Australia Labor one year out from the 2022 election marks an early pitch in a campaign that is bound to revolve heavily around the state’s world-leading shift to renewable energy.

In a statement accompanying the policy plan, Labor even suggested the new hydrogen facility would reduce the need to remotely switch off rooftop solar, a new power that the Australian Energy Market Operator called into use for the first time a little over a week ago.

SA Labor also cited independent analysis from Frontier Economics that it said has forecast that a government hydrogen plant would reduce the wholesale cost of electricity to industry by 8 per cent.

“Hydrogen is central to the world’s energy future – it’s cleaner, it’s cheaper and South Australia is uniquely positioned to become a world leader, with our abundant wind and solar resources,” said SA Labor leader Peter Malinauskas.

“At the next State election, South Australians will have a choice: we can follow the world on energy policy and see jobs go interstate and offshore, or we can lead the world and bring jobs here.”

Tom Koutsantonis, who was a powerful advocate for renewables during his time as energy minister to former SA Premier Jay Weatherill, said the cheap production of hydrogen was a game changer.

“Its uses are diverse, including manufacturing, firming energy to lower electricity prices, manufacturing green steel, being injected directly into furnaces to offset coal use and use in heavy vehicle and passenger vehicles to lower emissions and lower costs,” the shadow energy minister said.

“We are going to be at the forefront of this because this is where the jobs are, and this is where the future is.”

South Australia’s Liberal government last year named three state hydrogen hubs it expects to result in an “epic” growth in wind and solar capacity in the state, and enable it to become a major energy exporter to the rest of the country and the world.

The Marshall government’s Hydrogen Prospectus forms part of its official renewable energy target of 100 per cent by 2030, and the nominal 500 per cent renewables target that its climate action plan suggests the state could achieve by 2050.

https://reneweconomy.com.au/s-a-labor-p ... witch-off/

[RiseHigh]

Leigh creek energy a South Australian company has said they can produce hydrogen very cheaply if they had a backer, maybe this is an opportunity for them to create a lot of jobs aswell.

[SBD]

I can see value in the hydrogen industry. Government should encourage (but not necessarily own) hydrogen production, export, vehicles etc.

I don't see the value in the Labor party wanting so much to own its own power station, and can't see the value in a hydrogen power station, when the fuel is made by mixing electricity and water. What could this achieve that isn't already done by either batteries or pumped hydro?

Most Australian oil refineries are closed or will close soon. We can see what happens to global shipping if one ship gets a strong gust of wind in the Suez Canal. It still looks like a long time until trains and trucks can run on batteries, so maybe hydrogen can replace diesel on some of those applications.

[Nort]

I can see value in the hydrogen industry. Government should encourage (but not necessarily own) hydrogen production, export, vehicles etc.

I don't see the value in the Labor party wanting so much to own its own power station, and can't see the value in a hydrogen power station, when the fuel is made by mixing electricity and water. What could this achieve that isn't already done by either batteries or pumped hydro?

Most Australian oil refineries are closed or will close soon. We can see what happens to global shipping if one ship gets a strong gust of wind in the Suez Canal. It still looks like a long time until trains and trucks can run on batteries, so maybe hydrogen can replace diesel on some of those applications.

Hydrogen storage is a lot cheaper to scale up than battery storage.

Batteries have their place for the super-quick reaction and discharge time, this is about having longer-term baseload.

From what I read this scheme envisages a 200MW hydrogen fueled generator, with enough stored hydrogen for 2 months of operation.

That's approximately 288,000 MWH of storage, over a thousand times the storage capacity of the Hornsdale or planned Torrens Island Batteries.

By owning this plant it does greatly encourage private development because it shows industry there is a government commitment to the strategy of over 100% renewables for SA, and provides a solid starting point that private industry can build on.

[SBD]

I can see value in the hydrogen industry. Government should encourage (but not necessarily own) hydrogen production, export, vehicles etc.

I don't see the value in the Labor party wanting so much to own its own power station, and can't see the value in a hydrogen power station, when the fuel is made by mixing electricity and water. What could this achieve that isn't already done by either batteries or pumped hydro?

Most Australian oil refineries are closed or will close soon. We can see what happens to global shipping if one ship gets a strong gust of wind in the Suez Canal. It still looks like a long time until trains and trucks can run on batteries, so maybe hydrogen can replace diesel on some of those applications.

Hydrogen storage is a lot cheaper to scale up than battery storage.

Batteries have their place for the super-quick reaction and discharge time, this is about having longer-term baseload.

From what I read this scheme envisages a 200MW hydrogen fueled generator, with enough stored hydrogen for 2 months of operation.

That's approximately 288,000 MWH of storage, over a thousand times the storage capacity of the Hornsdale or planned Torrens Island Batteries.

By owning this plant it does greatly encourage private development because it shows industry there is a government commitment to the strategy of over 100% renewables for SA, and provides a solid starting point that private industry can build on.

Thanks for the explanation.

I'm still not clear that if there will be sufficient over-generation to cheaply make 288GWh of excess hydrogen in a year on top of what is used for transport etc. and exported, that there would be a need at some other part of the year to need to run that power station at 200MW for days at a time. It looks like in the last week, the interconnector has been exporting over 400MW each day, and importing over 400MW over night. Victoria has been a net exporter almost the entire week, and Tasmania too, but NSW has been importing. The OpenNEM tool does not show transmission losses, but if SA electricity is effectively moving through Victoria to NSW, the transmission losses might be lower once the EnergyConnect interconnection is in operation.

This proposal is still not really the old "baseload" concept as it is a net consumer of electricity, and 200MW is only an extended form of discharging the big lithium batteries and would also be matched if any of the pumped hydro projects get built.

[PeFe]

Large battery proposal for the old Holdens site at Elizabeth plus 24 mw of rooftop solar at the same site.

From Renew Economy

CEP to build 150MW big battery at former Holden plant in South Australia



The company behind plans to build 2GW of big battery capacity around Australia, including a 1,200MW project in the New South Wales Hunter Valley, has announced a new grid-scale battery for South Australia, to be built on the site of the former Holden car manufacturing plant on the outskirts of Adelaide.

CEP.Energy, a company chaired by former NSW Labor premier Morris Iemma, said on Tuesday that the newly announced big battery project, known as the Lionsgate Energy Storage System (LESS), would have a capacity of 150MW, with a storage duration as yet unspecified, pending a decision on the technology to be used.

The plan to build the big battery at the Lionsgate Business Park follows CEP.Energy’s February announcement that it would build the “world’s biggest battery” – 1,200MW – at the industrial centre of Kurri Kurri in the Hunter Valley, where the Morrison government has its own plans to build a new gas-fired generator.

And there will be more to come, with the two projects said to be part of a planned network of four big grid-scale batteries across the country with a total capacity of 2,000MW.

The development of the Lionsgate big battery was announced by CEP.Energy off the back of a 45-year lease agreement with Pelligra Group, the current owners of the iconic former GMH factory site in the outer northern Adelaide suburb of Elizabeth.

CEP.Energy had been in discussions with Pelligra over leasing a portion of the property giant’s millions of square metres of commercial and industrial roofspacem as part of a separate but equally ambitious plan to build and operate up to 1.5GW of commercial and industrial rooftop solar and storage systems, starting with a 400MW “virtual power plant.”

This is a plan CEP still intends to pursue, alongside its grid-scale battery plans, in partnership with SmartestEnergy Australia – a subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate Marubeni – which will manage and operate the aggregated VPP.

CEP said on Tuesday that it had also agreed with Pelligra to lease up to p to 200,000 square metres of rooftop at the 122-hectare Lionsgate Business Park site, on which it will develop a solar system of up to 24MW of capacity, which would make it the largest such PV system in Australia.

Pelligra’s plans for Lionsgate include transforming it into a modern hub for green industrial, manufacturing, construction and engineering. Current tenants include German battery storage manufacturer Sonnen Group.

“Pelligra’s vision for the Lionsgate Business Park fits perfectly with the CEP’S business strategy to stimulate new jobs and economic activity in major manufacturing and commercial hubs by reducing operating costs,” CEP.Energy’s CEO Peter Wright said.

The company behind plans to build 2GW of big battery capacity around Australia, including a 1,200MW project in the New South Wales Hunter Valley, has announced a new grid-scale battery for South Australia, to be built on the site of the former Holden car manufacturing plant on the outskirts of Adelaide.

CEP.Energy, a company chaired by former NSW Labor premier Morris Iemma, said on Tuesday that the newly announced big battery project, known as the Lionsgate Energy Storage System (LESS), would have a capacity of 150MW, with a storage duration as yet unspecified, pending a decision on the technology to be used.

The plan to build the big battery at the Lionsgate Business Park follows CEP.Energy’s February announcement that it would build the “world’s biggest battery” – 1,200MW – at the industrial centre of Kurri Kurri in the Hunter Valley, where the Morrison government has its own plans to build a new gas-fired generator.

And there will be more to come, with the two projects said to be part of a planned network of four big grid-scale batteries across the country with a total capacity of 2,000MW.

The development of the Lionsgate big battery was announced by CEP.Energy off the back of a 45-year lease agreement with Pelligra Group, the current owners of the iconic former GMH factory site in the outer northern Adelaide suburb of Elizabeth.

CEP.Energy had been in discussions with Pelligra over leasing a portion of the property giant’s millions of square metres of commercial and industrial roofspacem as part of a separate but equally ambitious plan to build and operate up to 1.5GW of commercial and industrial rooftop solar and storage systems, starting with a 400MW “virtual power plant.”

This is a plan CEP still intends to pursue, alongside its grid-scale battery plans, in partnership with SmartestEnergy Australia – a subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate Marubeni – which will manage and operate the aggregated VPP.

CEP said on Tuesday that it had also agreed with Pelligra to lease up to p to 200,000 square metres of rooftop at the 122-hectare Lionsgate Business Park site, on which it will develop a solar system of up to 24MW of capacity, which would make it the largest such PV system in Australia.

Pelligra’s plans for Lionsgate include transforming it into a modern hub for green industrial, manufacturing, construction and engineering. Current tenants include German battery storage manufacturer Sonnen Group.

“Pelligra’s vision for the Lionsgate Business Park fits perfectly with the CEP’S business strategy to stimulate new jobs and economic activity in major manufacturing and commercial hubs by reducing operating costs,” CEP.Energy’s CEO Peter Wright said.

“The Lionsgate site is zoned industrial and has the all-important existing grid connection capacity. Large scale storage within the South Australian distribution network will assist with the management of local network voltages and solar supply peaks and troughs,” he said.

“Our plan is to develop a centre for the next generation of industrial businesses driven by rapid developments in skills and technology,’’ added Pelligra Group chair Ross Pelligra.

“The agreement with CEP for the on-site battery will deliver Lionsgate tenants cost-effective energy generated on the roof-tops above.”

South Australia energy minister Dan van Holst Pellekaan welcomed the news of the new big battery – set to be the state’s sixth grid-scale battery – as a fantastic initiative to transform the former Holden site.

“The combination of a large solar array, grid scale battery and virtual power plant on a large industrial site fits perfectly with our government’s energy policy,” he said.

“This style of project will deliver value for the tenants as well as all other South Australian electricity consumers by reducing peak demand on the grid.”

CEP’s Iemma said the Pelligra Group’s redevelopment of the former GMH site was a great example of turning an old manufacturing plant into a modern business district.

“This project will generate new jobs in an area where they are much-needed and will be powered by solar power,’’ he said.

“Given energy costs make up about a third of manufacturer’s costs, the CEP.Energy offer will increase viability and deliver jobs.”

https://reneweconomy.com.au/cep-to-buil ... australia/

[PeFe]

1414 Degrees have tweaked their Aurora Project at Port Augusta.

From Renew Economy

Aurora project could start life as big battery, as 1414 rethinks business case



ASX-listed thermal energy storage hopeful 1414 Degrees is considering doubling the storage capacity of the big battery component of its Aurora Energy Project in South Australia’s Port Augusta to 140MWh, and holding off on the solar component, to improve the project’s business case.

1414 Degrees, or 14D, picked up the abandoned Aurora Solar Tower Project in late 2019 as part of a deal to acquire the Australian assets of the failed US solar tower developer, SolarReserve. At that time, the project had development approval for a 150MW concentrated solar thermal plant and a 70MW solar PV plant.

14D had proposed to use the site to pilot its silicon-based thermal energy storage system, or TESS-GRID technology, which it said could deliver electricity firming services to similar scale as the solar power tower project (135MW of effective capacity and eight hours of storage).

The company had then planned to seek to vary or submit a new development application to provide up to 400MW of solar PV together with TESS-GRID technology with storage capacity that would be progressively scaled up to “several thousand MWh.”

This has since been refined to a project of several phases, the first featuring 70MW of solar and a 70MW/70MWh battery energy storage system, the second featuring the company’s proprietary TESS technology which is intended to provide over 1GWh of grid-scale storage.

A vague third phase which would turn the project into a “hybrid power station” and include “other technologies such as CSP,” was brought into slightly clearer detail in September 2020 after an MoU was signed between 14D and Vast Solar.

In an ASX update published on Wednesday, 14D said it had revised the modelling for the Aurora project to identify the highest return-lowest risk outcome for shareholders, as well as restructured the project team.

“Additional energy market expertise has been brought into the team, particularly to refine the business case modelling of spot energy prices and Frequency Control Ancillary Service (FCAS) revenues,” the announcement said.

To this end, the revised modelling suggested that increasing the BESS size from 70MW/70MWh to 140MWh (subject to transmission connections) would deliver higher revenue streams from merchant generation and FCAS.

“The BESS will be positioned for further revenue upside from merchant and FCAS as thermal power stations continue to exit the market due to renewable penetration and low wholesale electricity prices,” the company statement said.

“A BESS with merchant earnings is attractive to potential project financiers in the current wholesale electricity market conditions.”

The revised modelling also found that postponing the 70MW solar component, originally planned for the first stage of the Aurora development alongside the battery, would “substantially” cut capex costs and remove the need to secure power purchase agreements, which were currently at “historic lows.”

This would constitute a significant change of plans from 14D, which as recently as December of last year confirmed it was proceeding with design of a substation and advancing a transmission connection agreement for a planned first stage with 70MW of solar and 70MWh of battery energy storage.

The company had already suffered a setback on the TESS part of the equation – which is still slated to be delivered in phase two of the project sometime in 2023 – when the results of a review of the technology, delivered in June of last year, found it falling short on key metrics.

The review, commissioned by the company’s own executive chairman Kevin Moriarty, found that 14D’s core technology, its long-duration thermal energy storage system (TESS), required further development work to be “commercially robust,” particularly in terms of efficiency and reliability.

The notably frank and transparent review update also found that earlier expectations for sales were “optimistic,” and that a fully developed electric charging TESS was not currently competitive with fossil fuel heating.

https://reneweconomy.com.au/aurora-proj ... ness-case/

[PeFe]

New rules on the export of power from rooftop solar

From the ABC

Solar export limits for Adelaide suburbs with most panels under SA Power Networks trial


Adelaide's southern suburbs have one of the highest concentrations of solar panels, SA Power Networks says.(ABC News)

South Australia's electricity distributor will undertake a trial of tough limits on how much power some solar panel owners can export to the grid.

However, SA Power Networks will also allow new and upgrading customers in areas with a high concentration of solar panels to contribute double as much as they can now to the system when there is enough demand.

The company, which controls the state's poles and wires, calls the initiative "Flexible Exports".

It says the change is needed because new solar panels are overloading some parts of the grid, increasing the risk of blackouts and damage to equipment.

South Australian solar panel owners can currently export 5 kilowatts of electricity to the grid but under Flexible Exports, they could export double that amount — 10kW.

Under another option to be offered to customers in the trial area — Adelaide's southern suburbs — solar exports would be limited to 1.5kW at congested times.

Solar exports would be monitored and controlled through internet-connected smart meters.


All new or replacement electricity meters have been smart meters in SA since 2017.(ABC News)

More solar panels creating problems

Last month, energy authorities in South Australia used a power given to them last year to remotely switch off thousands of household solar panels for the first time, making the intervention when electricity demand plunged during sunny but not hot weather.

SA Power Networks general manager for strategy and transformation Mark Vincent said the system could be expanded across the state, if successful during the trial.

"At this stage, a few localised areas serviced by substations in the southern suburbs are most likely to be involved," he said.

"However, over time, we plan to expand the service so that all customers can get access to flexible export limits if they wish."


South Australia also has high flows from solar power plants and wind farms going through its wires.(ABC News)

He said the change was necessary in order to accommodate more solar customers on the network.

"Flexible Exports and other initiatives we are undertaking will mean more South Australians will have the opportunity to install solar and gain the benefits," Mr Vincent said.

"Obviously, the outcome for individual customers depends on a host of factors and customers should talk to their solar installer about the specific benefits."

Trial to start later this year
SA Power Networks estimates fewer than 2 per cent of new solar systems would be affected.

Most household systems produce between 2kW and 4kW.


About 800 customers are expected to be involved in the trial.(ABC News)

SA Power Networks spokesman Paul Roberts said the federally-funded trial was set to start in the middle of the year.

"It's about giving customers an option instead of interstate, where in many cases customers are being told they can't export at all or they have a very low limit," he said.

"We're giving customers the option of choosing between a fixed lower limit or a more flexible one that will take them up to 10kW."

Electricity distributors could soon be given the right to charge customers for exporting power, under a proposal recommended by the Australian Energy Market Commission.

The suggestion was prompted by requests from SA Power Networks, along with welfare groups St Vincent de Paul and the Australian Council of Social Service, who argued the cost of augmenting power networks to cope with new solar panels was unfairly borne by households without solar.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-15/ ... /100070068