News & Discussion: Electricity Infrastructure

[PeFe]

Another go at large scale solar thermal at Port Augusta (The one with the mirrors in a huge circle reflecting sunlight onto a single mirror high above the ground)

Vast Solar reboots Port August solar thermal plans, with $110m federal funds



Plans to build a solar thermal power plant in Port Augusta are back on the table, after local outfit Vast Solar was awarded federal government backing to build a 20MW project with 12 hours of storage near the South Australian city.

The $110 million in finance for the proposed concentrated solar thermal power plant was announced on Friday by federal energy minister Angus Taylor as part of a spree of pre-election funding announcements, including for hydrogen and CCS projects.

The money for the project, which RenewEconomy understands to be budgeted, appears to be a happy return of the $110 million set aside in March 2017 by the then Turnbull government to help finance an unspecified CSP project, in a deal struck with the Nick Xenophon Party.

At that time, the tender for the concessional loan deal was awarded to US outfit SolarReserve, whose $750 million Aurora solar tower with molten salt storage was to deliver 150MW of capacity and eight hours of storage.

That project was abandoned by SolarReserve two years later, however, when the company revealed it had been unable to raise finance – even despite the financial support package.

Now, five years after competing for and missing out on the 2017 tender for the Port Augusta CSP project, Vast has another shot at making it happen.

Vast says the project will feature the same modular tower CSP technology that the company has successfully demonstrated at Jemalong in New South Wales. It uses sodium as the heat transfer fluid.

CEO Craig Wood says the “world-leading facility” will produce the sort of dispatchable renewable electricity that has been a goal of the Morrison government’s Technology Investment Roadmap.

Wood says CSP technology, which is yet to gain a foothold in the Australian market, is really one of two established technologies – alongside pumped hydro – that can offer the sort of relaible long-duration energy storage that will be critical for a renewable energy grid.

“The technology works, it is providing bulk overnight energy and grid stability in markets around the world, basically everywhere except Australia,” Wood told RenewEconomy on Friday.

“[For] a whole series of reasons… we don’t have an understanding in this market of what CSP is able to do.”

Wood last week told RenewEconomy that the adoption of Doosan Škoda Power turbines with a clutch could improve the economics of Vast’s solar thermal technology by competing in the grid services market, while also helping hasten the exit of the traditional providers of synchronous power, coal and gas generators.

“By the time we’ve got something established and there’s something for people to see… we’re confident this can be the catalyst for the technology to take off in Australia,” he told RenewEconomy this week.

“What’s more, the project will be the catalyst for a concentrated solar thermal technology export industry that brings jobs and billions of dollars in export revenue, and helps Australia become a clean energy superpower.”

Wood says that Port Augusta, with its position on the grid and its abundant sunshine, remains “a cracking place” to build a solar thermal plant, but that there is a bit of flexibility on the project’s exact location.

Vast’s plans, at this stage, are not connected with those of thermal energy storage hopeful 1414 Degrees, which in late 2019 bought up the Australian assets of SolarReserve, including the rights to the failed Aurora CSP project, which had secured state approvals for development.

omments from South Australia’s newly reinstated Labor energy minister, Tom Koutsantonis, suggest the state government will be supportive of Vast’s plans for Port Augusta, and the company is hopeful that federal Labor – should it win the upcoming May election – will also be on board.

Vast Solar is currently working on a major project in the Mt Isa region, as well as other parts of the main grid and some off-grid projects. Wood says the interest from mining companies is increasing.

https://reneweconomy.com.au/vast-solar- ... ral-funds/

And what do the synchon condensers do? And will they save SA money in the long run?

https://reneweconomy.com.au/sa-syncons- ... as-output/

[Nort]

And what do the synchon condensers do? And will they save SA money in the long run?

https://reneweconomy.com.au/sa-syncons- ... as-output/

They provide some inertia to the grid. Traditional power generation methods like coal, gas, nuclear etc are very predictable and stable in their output.

Solar and wind have the weakness that the output can rise or fall quite quickly, causing power spikes or drops and also potential fluctuation in AC frequencies. The Condensors help flatten these issues out.

[PeFe]

Ok so you're sick of hearing about renewables "lowering the wholesale price of electricity in South Australia" but wonder why the cost of electricity is so high to consumers in this sate.

Excellent explainer article from Renew Economy.

A renewables surge bringing down energy prices, but consumers miss out



The “substantially lower” wholesale electricity prices South Australia has achieved through its world-leading uptake of renewable energy are not being passed through to customers, a new report has confirmed.

A draft report from the SA Producticity Commission finds that despite the state’s solar and wind delivering some of Australia’s lowest wholesale spot prices, prices faced by the state’s consumers were around 20% higher than consumers in New South Wales.

And it warns that without the rapid implementation of market and policy reforms, the situation for consumers will only get worse as more and more renewable energy capacity is added.

The Commission was asked in November of 2021 to assess the competitive advantages South Australia was getting – or not getting – from its huge resource of small and large-scale solar and wind power.

In 2020/21 this level of wind and solar had reached a world leading 62% of the state’s electricity generation, and has since increased further, heading towards an unofficial target of net 100 per cent by the end of the decade.



The report finds that while the bountiful wind and solar has flipped the state’s wholesale spot prices from being among the highest in the national electricity market (NEM) to among the lowest, this is yet to flow through to electricity users.

The report shows that South Australian consumers have had the highest average wholesale price component of their electricity bills, at 11.31c/kWh, slightly above the 11.26 c/kWh paid by Victorian consumers and well above the 9.41 c/kWh paid in NSW.



“The state’s ability to take advantage of these natural advantages has been limited by problems in the local electricity market which reduced the pass through of these lower prices to consumers, and from several adverse policy changes,” the report says.

“This means that South Australia is not currently experiencing a competitive advantage due to renewable energy.”

Of course, critics of renewables will seize on this as evidence that the state’s grand renewables “experiment” – as it has been dubbed – has been a failure, and that the only cheap power is the sort derived from so-called “baseload” coal and gas generators.

This is not the case. The state’s history of volatile electricity prices dates back to well before the rise of renewables, for reasons historically linked to its gas power supply and its high transmission costs – two things that continue to affect market outcomes today.

This has changed with the arrival of renewable energy – a fact that is well supported in the report. The question is why the state’s now consistently lower wholesale spot prices are not being reflected in the wholesale price component of SA retail bills.

According to the Commission, there is “no consistent feedback from stakeholders” on why this is happening, but the general consenus is that some blame can be laid with “flaws in the NEM,” particularly on the demand side, as well as some policy decisions made on the run.

The report finds that while the bountiful wind and solar has flipped the state’s wholesale spot prices from being among the highest in the national electricity market (NEM) to among the lowest, this is yet to flow through to electricity users.

The report shows that South Australian consumers have had the highest average wholesale price component of their electricity bills, at 11.31c/kWh, slightly above the 11.26 c/kWh paid by Victorian consumers and well above the 9.41 c/kWh paid in NSW.

“The state’s ability to take advantage of these natural advantages has been limited by problems in the local electricity market which reduced the pass through of these lower prices to consumers, and from several adverse policy changes,” the report says.

“This means that South Australia is not currently experiencing a competitive advantage due to renewable energy.”

Of course, critics of renewables will seize on this as evidence that the state’s grand renewables “experiment” – as it has been dubbed – has been a failure, and that the only cheap power is the sort derived from so-called “baseload” coal and gas generators.

This is not the case. The state’s history of volatile electricity prices dates back to well before the rise of renewables, for reasons historically linked to its gas power supply and its high transmission costs – two things that continue to affect market outcomes today.

This has changed with the arrival of renewable energy – a fact that is well supported in the report. The question is why the state’s now consistently lower wholesale spot prices are not being reflected in the wholesale price component of SA retail bills.

According to the Commission, there is “no consistent feedback from stakeholders” on why this is happening, but the general consenus is that some blame can be laid with “flaws in the NEM,” particularly on the demand side, as well as some policy decisions made on the run.

The report runs through a list of potential explanations for the price disconnect, including the impact of purchases outside the spot market, including hedging contracts and Power Purchase Agreements, and – perhaps most critically – problems on the demand-side.

“Drawing on our initial analysis and stakeholder feedback, it appears that South Australia’s grid would benefit from both an increased load during the day that can be readily curtailed, and increased competition in on-demand generation,” the report says.

“It is the case, however, that the quantity of electricity demanded within the South Australian
market is much more variable than that in New South Wales, with more frequent periods of
very low demand (compared to the average) and more frequent periods of very high demand.

“Each of these types of variation produce challenges for the grid.”

Addressing these challenges is obviously a vital task and the Commission has used the draft report to call on stakeholders to weigh in with potential approaches to removing the barriers to what should be South Australia’s renewable energy competitive advantage.

For its part, the Commission highlighted the absence of any state body “tasked with delivering lower prices for consumers.”

“[This] means that interventions to either reduce peak demand (through demand response
markets) or moderate the prices charged for peak power supply are not explored,” it said.

And the Commission has also warned that there is no time to lose in addressing the various market “flaws” that are stopping the benefits of renewables being passed through to consumers.

“Initial indications from the modelling are that plausible trajectories for additional renewable energy generation in South Australia are likely to worsen the current disconnect between average spot prices and the prices actually paid by electricity users,” it says.

“Without reforms such as additional competition in the on-demand generation market, or changes to the regulatory structure of the NEM, there is no reason to expect expanded renewable generation to deliver substantial reductions in South Australian retail prices.”

https://reneweconomy.com.au/sa-renewabl ... -miss-out/

[SBD]

An interesting article, thank you.

it appears that South Australia’s grid would benefit from both an increased load during the day that can be readily curtailed, and increased competition in on-demand generation

the Commission highlighted the absence of any state body “tasked with delivering lower prices for consumers.”

“[This] means that interventions to either reduce peak demand (through demand response
markets) or moderate the prices charged for peak power supply are not explored,” it said.

I believe that the desalination plant can be shut down fairly quickly. The SAWater pumping stations might be able to as well (and each now has grid-connected solar power too). Hydrogen manufacture and pumped hydro are the other obvious possibilities for creating curtailable load.

High penetration of home solar panels has led to very low grid demand on "nice days" when the sun is shining and the windows are open.

Human behaviour can be somewhat managed by having smart meters pushed out everywhere and offering variable-rate electricity supply contracts. Most of us have some flexibility in when we run the dishwasher, washing machine etc, when to charge the electric car and how hard the airconditioner is working. If we can see the spot (retail) price impact on our hip pockets, we might be prepared to wait a few hours until the price spike has moderated. Especially if someone can collate and publish the historic and expected demand/price curve.

So as not to shift all of the price risk to the consumer, the new variable contracts could be capped at 10% above the current contract rate but offer substantially reduced prices for times of low demand so that the average consumer would be expected to pay the same if their usage pattern did not change.

[PeFe]

It doesn't help that the transmission cost (poles and wires) appears to be 33% above the Australian average.

Also "gaming of the market" is another issue that just won't go away. Low wind cool nights and suddenly lots of gas generation (that has been sitting idle) is "not available at the moment" forcing the spot price into the thousands.......

Remember South Australia still has about 2800 mw of potential gas/diesel generation, that's more than plenty when electricity demand on these nights is around 1300 mw....

[bits]

It doesn't help that the transmission cost (poles and wires) appears to be 33% above the Australian average.

I think SA sealed roads is a similar problem of SA has worst ratio of distance covered vs people using it.

[rev]

Apparently we're getting a battery at Torrens Island now?

390-tonne superload en route to Torrens Island on Thursday morning
The 390-tonne superload is set to pass through Adelaide’s north on its final route to arrive at the Torrens Island Power Station between 5am and 6am on Thursday.

Kitty Barr
less than 2 min read
July 20, 2022 - 10:28PM

The 390-tonne superload is closing in on the final leg of its 1000km to Torrens Island Power Station.

About 2am on Thursday morning, the electrical transformer is expected to depart from She-Oak Log to Torrens Island via the Sturt Highway, Northern Expressway, Northern Connector, Port River Expressway and Grand Trunkway.

It is planned to arrive at the Torrens Island Power Station between 5am and 6am on Thursday.

The superload, stretching 90m, left Overland Corner about 7:15am on Wednesday and travelled via the Goyder Highway to Morgan, Murraylands Rd to Blanchetown and Sturt Highway to Shea-Oak Log.



The electrical transformer started its journey to South Australia from Glen Waverley, Victoria at about 10pm on July 13.

From Glen Waverley, it went to Bordertown on Sunday July 17.

From Bordertown, it travelled north through Pinnaroo and the Riverland before connecting on to the Sturt Highway at Blanchetown and then the Northern Expressway near Gawler. It then went down Northern Connector, Port River Expressway and Grand Trunkway en route to Torrens Island.

The 90m long superload contains a high voltage power transformer, an important component of the Torrens Island battery project.

The high voltage power transformer is a milestone delivery in the power station’s $180m, 250MW grid-scale battery project.



“The delivery of the power transformer is an important step in constructing the 250MW Torrens Island battery, which will add firming capacity and support renewable energy generation in South Australia.” said AGL’s chief operating officer, Markus Brokhof.

The battery is a first step in the future Torrens Island Energy Hub, which will support renewable energy generation in SA.

There will be no road closures as the superload makes its way to Torrens Island, but when it goes through intersections they are closed off by SAPOL but reopened as soon as the superload passes through.

The Department of Infrastructure and Transport has said that if drivers see the superload on the road, they should keep their distance and follow directions from SAPOL and traffic management staff who will be escorting the vehicle.

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sou ... ddf61c2a47

[SBD]

Apparently we're getting a battery at Torrens Island now?

AGL has been talking about it since it built the Barker Inlet gas motor power station. I guess it can’t see a reason to build a big thermal power station to replace Torrens Island when the rest of it wears out.

https://www.agl.com.au/about-agl/media- ... nd-grid-sc

[PeFe]

And here is an old In Daily story about the AGL battery

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

[rubberman]

And here is an old In Daily story about the AGL battery

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

Perhaps AGL directors are now reluctantly heeding the opinions of shareholders...and economic reality. Shareholders simply see that the existing thermal power stations are falling to bits and don't believe that they can be kept going, even in the medium term. So, for AGL to survive, it needs to get off its arse and invest in renewables before it goes the way of Kodak.

[1NEEDS2POST]

Surely it would have been easier to move it on a boat from Melbourne.

[SBD]

Surely it would have been easier to move it on a boat from Melbourne.

I think I heard that the usual port cranes in Adelaide can't lift that weight. Even if they could, there's still the need to get it from the manufacturer to the relevant berth at Port Melbourne, and to get it from a suitable berth in Port Adelaide to Torrens Island. The trucks and transport frame are probably required too. If htey are hired, then the cost of hiring for that long possibly exceeds any saving compared to the week or so journey by road.

I think we've seen other large transformers brought by road from Melbourne, not shipped to Port Adelaide.

What surprised me was the use of the Kingston Bridge rather than the Blanchetown Bridge. Other heavy loads have used Blanchetown (bridge trusses from Bowhill for example). May be not quite that heavy?

[PeFe]

Record wind output in South Australia last night.

From Renew Economy

Graph of the Day: South Australia sets new wind output record


Iberdrola's Lake Bonney wind farm.

Graph of the Day: South Australia sets new wind output record
Giles Parkinson 22 July 2022

South Australia has set a new wind output record, as new capacity comes on line and as previous limits on wind out put are relaxed after the installation of four synchronous condensers that provide grid security.

According to NEMLog, the new wind output record of 2,062MW in South Australia was set at just after midnight on Friday morning, beating the previous record of 2,051MW set just six days earlier.

At the time, wind was providing 120 per cent of the state’s local electricity demand, although the few gas generators that were operating at the time succeeded in keeping the wholesale electricity price at around $220/MWh.

The price later went negative around 2am after the last of the reciprocating gas engines were switched off, and went negative again during the daytime when the combined impact of wind and solar pushed more gas out of the system.



The constraints on wind and solar output in the state have been relaxed significantly since the installation of the four syncons, which provide “system strength” and allow the market operator to retain only a minimum amount of gas generation when there is plenty of wind and solar.

Syncons are spinning machines that do not burn fuel, but many in the industry believe that battery storage with “advanced” or “grid forming” inverters will be able provide a similar service.

Several big batteries have installed such inverters, including Hornsdale Power Reserve in South Australia, but trials to date have been limited.

South Australia’s wind output has been highly variable over the past week, falling to a minimum share of 3 per cent on Tuesday, but the state’s share of wind and solar remains at a world leading 67.4 per cent over the past week, and 65 per cent over the last 12 months.

The Port Augusta Renewable Energy Park, which had been shut down for several weeks after as yet unexplained “oscillations” caused lights to flicker, has also resumed output and is producing at up to its current hold point level of 140MW as it works its way through the commissioning process.

PAREP will ultimately have 210MW of wind capacity and 107MW of solar capacity, making it the biggest wind and solar hybrid facility in the country once complete.

https://reneweconomy.com.au/graph-of-th ... ut-record/

[PeFe]

The proposed Whyalla hydrogen plant appears to be advancing.

From In Daily

Hydrogen plan fuels global interest

NEWS

The state government says it has received 60 proposals from organisations across the world vying to be part of its $593 million hydrogen plant near Whyalla as competition with other states for a slice of the emerging industry heats up.


The state government has called for designs for its hydrogen plant near Port Bonython.

The project, likely to involve major global companies, is set to include a 250MWe hydrogen electrolyser, a 200MW combined cycle gas turbine generator principally fuelled by hydrogen and a 3600-tonne hydrogen storage facility that will equate to one of the world’s biggest hydrogen power plants.

The two-year construction period is expected to begin by the middle of 2023 with the plant operational by the end of 2025.

The government’s market sounding process, calling for proposals from industry on the technical, system and commercial project approaches for the hydrogen facility, included submissions from global operators; large-scale renewable energy developers; and, companies with links to local industry and workforces.

The recently established Office of Hydrogen Power will use these submissions to inform the future procurement processes and final site selection for the project.

“What we are trying to do is understand from industry how they think we should do it and then we’ll use that information to better understand where the market is at with things but also to design a procurement strategy so we can get some competition going for supplies from around the world,” Hydrogen Power SA chief executive Sam Crafter recently told InDaily.

Premier Peter Malinauskas said it was clear that the project had “captured the imagination of the world”.

“The high interest in the market sounding process has demonstrated the level of interest in the state’s hydrogen jobs plan and leaves little doubt that the green hydrogen industry in South Australia is on the up and up,” he said.

“We have positioned our state as a world leader in renewable energy, and the green hydrogen industry is the next step as we head towards net zero carbon emissions.”

Other major hydrogen projects in SA include the nearby Port Bonython Hydrogen Hub, which has received $70 million in federal funding, $30 million from the state government and is expected to generate a further $40 million in private investment.

Full article : https://indaily.com.au/news/2022/07/26/ ... -interest/

[PeFe]

The large Hornesdale (aka Tesla Large Battery) is now able to offer inertia services to the grid. Something in the past only offered by fossil fuels or hydro.

From Renew Economy

“World first:” Hornsdale battery gets approval to deliver critical inertia services to grid



The Hornsdale Power Reserve in South Australia, aka the “Tesla big battery”, has finally gained approval to become the first big battery in the world to deliver grid-scale inertia services.

The approval came from the Australian Energy Market Operator after nearly two years of trials and testing, and is considered to be another critical step towards managing a grid with 100 per cent renewables and no coal plants and gas generators in operation.

The Hornsdale battery, owned by Neoen and expanded to 150MW/193MWh in 2020 to help deliver these additional services, will be the first of many such batteries to operate with what are known as “advanced” or “grid forming” inverters.

These inverters are able to deliver many of the critical grid services usually provided by thermal power, but have required detailed testing to help manage the switch from large spinning machines to precise digital technology.

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

AEMO says grid forming inverters are critical to a successful transition from a coal based grid to one that could feature an average of more than 90 per cent wind and solar in little more than a decade, and 100 per cent “instant” renewables within three years.

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

The fact that the Hornsdale battery is the first to deliver such services at scale is no coincidence, as South Australia has the world’s leading share of wind and solar, with more 64 per cent provided by these “variable” renewable sources in the pst 12 months.

The Hornsdale battery will have the capacity to provide an estimated 2,000MWs of equivalent inertia, or around 15 per cent of the predicted shortfall in the state’s network, which serves over 1.7 million people and 150,000 businesses.

A minimum level of inertia, in conjunction with frequency control services that can also be provided by battery inverters, is needed both during normal operation of the electricity network and after major disturbances. Inertia has traditionally been provided by gas or coal fired generators.

“The closing of thermal power plants and increasing volumes of renewable energy are resulting in inertia shortfalls in the grid, a serious network issue that batteries are now able to overcome,” Neoen said in a statement.

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

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

“Improving the economics of energy storage is going to be key in our transition to high shares of renewable electricity. We congratulate Neoen and all the project partners on this great achievement and look forward to more grid-scale batteries becoming equipped with advanced inverter capabilities.”

Batteries can deliver multiple different services to the grid – energy arbitrage and storage, fast frequency response and frequency regulation – but their full “value stack” is often not rewarded, because no market has yet been created for some of those services.

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

The joint statement said the landmark achievement was the result of two years of extensive trials, but in reality this consisted of detailed studies, reviews and analysis of a few hours of actual testing before the AEMO and the network operator ElectraNet could be satisfied with the outcome.

The inertia service is already being delivered by the big battery. But it will not be paid for the services as such, because there is still no market for it. The grants and finance from the government and agencies is designed to cover the cost.

“Hornsdale Power Reserve is an outstanding demonstration of the market-changing role of large-scale batteries in the race to net zero emissions,” CEFC boss Ian Learmonth said in a statement.

“There is no question that Australia needs a stronger, modernised electricity grid, supported by grid-scale storage, if we are to capitalise on the enormous benefits of our renewable energy resources.”

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

“The Hornsdale Power Reserve was revolutionary when we commissioned it back in 2017 and continues its pioneering role,” added Tom Koutsantonis, the South Australian energy minister, said in a statement.

“It is leading the innovation of inverter-based technologies – paving the way for more, much needed large scale storage projects both in Australia and beyond.

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

https://reneweconomy.com.au/world-first ... s-to-grid/