News & Discussion: Electricity Infrastructure

[SBD]

Did you mean "synchronous generators" or "synchronous condensers"? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synchronous_condenser

Ah yes, I meant "condensers" ....not generators.

At present, most storage is proposed as an adjunct to individual renewable generators to allow them to bid deeper into the market by guaranteeing more of their supply power. The GFG Alliance/Zen Energy proposals near Whyalla might get up as Gupta will own the entire electricity supply chain from sunlight to steel. His business model will not rely on arbitrage between the troughs and peaks of the wholesale electricity price.

The Cultana and Highbury and Kanmantoo pumped hydro proposals are not necessarily linked to solar/wind farms. Gupta's proposed hydro is in the Middleback Ranges 90 kilometres away from Whyalla and his solar farm. Also Gupta's proposal is the smallest capacity of all the proposals, really only sized as back up power for his steel plant.

Cultana is proposed to use sea water (giving an advantage over its competitors using fresh water) but vacant mines provide cheaper builds....

Hopefully more than one of these proposals get up.

Yes, Gupta's hydro and solar are opposite sides of Whyalla but the transmission lines they will connect to lead to GFG's mines and smelter. The Kanantoo mine proposal is also not near any particular source, but it's going to be run by AGL which has several wind farms as well as gas plants so will not need to use price arbitrage as the main business model for the storage. I'm not sure about any of the others.

The more things that are built to cut off the extreme price spikes and to remove the times of negative pricing, the less attractive it will be to develop things that rely on those spikes and troughs to be profitable.

[PeFe]

The current state of the Tesla VPP project from Renew Economy.

South Australia says Tesla virtual power plant charging ahead


South Australia’s state Liberal government says the second stage of Tesla-inspired virtual power plant is now over-subscribed, and it is now looking at the design of the third stage which could deliver a 250MW resource to the state’s renewable dominated grid.

Energy minister Dan van Holst Pellekaan said more than 1,100 households have now signed up to the program, which delivers rooftop solar and a Tesla Powerwall 2 battery to mostly low income households, and delivers a 20 per cent cut in electricity prices for those who need it most.

The program is one of two significant battery storage programs in South Australia. The Home battery scheme was launched by the Liberal government, but while there was initial doubt about the future of the Tesla VPP, a separate scheme initially proposed by Labor, the Liberals eventually embraced the idea.

Now, through these and other VPP schemes offered by AGL and Simply Energy, the state looks set to have more than 100,000 homes with battery storage, potentially providing a valuable resource for a state grid that is already at more than 50 per cent renewables and heading towards 100 per cent by 2030.

“This VPP is delivering affordable electricity to some of South Australia’s most disadvantaged households whilst increasing the reliability of the state’s electricity network,” van Holst Pellekaan said in a statement.

“Households participating in the Phase 2 trial are charged electricity rates more than 20 per cent better than the Default Market Offer introduced on 1 July 2019.

“Tesla is regularly reviewing and benchmarking the VPP Program Offer to ensure the program continues to deliver the savings promised to customers and that the VPP Program Offer is the best published retail offer in the South Australian market.”

Van Holst Pellekaan says results from Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the Tesla VPP project are being taken into account as the government considers the launch of phase 3, which would seek to expand the program to 50,000 homes, focusing on Housing SA homes, low income homes, and then others.

Full article : https://reneweconomy.com.au/south-austr ... ead-84199/

[Nort]

I was very concerned that the state Libs would kill a lot of the renewable projects that they didn't start and they deserve credit for seeing them through.

[PeFe]

Engie wind farm at Hallett officially opened

From Renew Economy

Engie’s 119MW Willogoleche wind farm formally opens in South Australia



South Australia’s 119MW Willogoleche wind farm was officially opened for business on Tuesday, marking completion of the latest big renewables project for French developer Engie, and the first onshore deployment of GE’s 3.8MW turbines at scale.

The project, which installed 32 of the 150 metre tall turbines near Hallett in the state’s mid-north, has been completed by Engie and JV partner Mitsui & Co, two years after it was announced in 2017 – the same year the company closed its Hazelwood coal plant in Victoria.

South Australia energy minister Dan van Holst Pellekaan took a break from approving a spate of large-scale solar and storage projects to help launch the wind farm, which he described as another significant addition to the state’s impressive portfolio of wind and solar.

“Willogoleche’s 119MW capacity will put downward pressure on prices by increasing competition in the South Australia’s energy market,” he said.

“(The project) adds momentum to the case for associated grid-scale storage and an interconnector between SA and NSW to enable the export of South Australia’s abundant renewable energy to the eastern seaboard.”

Engie says power generated by the wind farm will be delivered via its own retail power arm, Simply Energy, which has more than 700,000 customers in Australia, including nearly 90,000 in South Australia.

The company says the GE turbines’ 130 metre rotor blades can operate through a range of wind speeds, allowing each turbine to maximise its generation capacity.

“Willogoleche is the latest demonstration of Engie’s long-term commitment to South Australia… (and) significantly increases our local generation capacity to deliver more renewable energy to our growing customer base in the state,” Engie’s Asia Pacific president and CEO Paul Maguire said.

“This opening marks another milestone in our continuing transition across the Asia-Pacific region toward low-carbon energy production and the pursuit of growth opportunities through providing energy efficient and multi-technical solutions to customers.”

Full article : https://reneweconomy.com.au/engies-119m ... lia-15161/

[PeFe]

Gupta has received approval from the state government to build a large battery at Port Augusta.

From Renew Economy

Gupta wins approval for Playford big battery, key part of ambitious solar plan



A 100MW/100MWh battery that forms a key part of Sanjeev Gupta’s ambitious plans to power South Australia’ manufacturing sector with solar and storage – has won development approval from the state government.

The Playford Utility Battery (PUB) project – located near the former coal fired generator in Port Augusta that shared its name – this week received approval from the South Australian planning minister Stephan Knoll.

Project developer Simec Energy Australia, majority owned by Gupta’s GFG Alliance, says this a substantial step towards the commencement of construction, and for its plans to invest $1 billion in

The Playford battery has a nominal capacity of 100MW/100MWh, but output can be pushed to 135MW in periods of high demand. This compares to the Tesla big battery at Hornsdale, which has a nominal capacity of 100MW/129MWh.

The Playford battery will provide both FCAS and Fast Frequency Response services to the National Electricity Market and will take advantage of market arbitrage opportunities, and the price differential between high and low electricity demand periods. It should be noted, however, that the FCAS market cake is now beginning to shrink as more batteries enter the network.

“Securing Development Approval is another important milestone in Simec Energy Australia’s work to invest US$1Billion to deliver 1GW of vital dispatchable renewable energy to the National Electricity Market,” CEO Marc Barrington said in a statement.

“Delivering this important firming asset into the National Electricity Market will provide greater stability and enable Simec Energy Australia to provide globally competitive energy to our customers. The battery will provide significant benefits for the region and energy users who partner with SIMEC Energy Australia for their energy needs.”

“This asset is also being considered under the ARENA Advancing Renewables Program. This funding, if realised, will bring this project to life – enabling its delivery – as well as continuing to enhance retail electricity competition within South Australia.”

Full article : https://reneweconomy.com.au/gupta-wins- ... lan-93431/

[PeFe]

State government approval for wind/solar farm with battery at Crystal Brook.
From Renew Economy

SA approves plans for wind, solar, battery and hydrogen superhub




Ambitious plans to combine wind, solar, battery storage and potentially green hydrogen production at a hybrid “24/7” energy generation facility in South Australia have won development approval from the state government.

The Neoen Australia Crystal Brook Energy Park has proposed to install up to 125MW of wind generation, 150MW of solar and a 130MW/400MWh lithium-ion battery storage facility around 23km southeast of Port Pirie and 3km north of the town of the same name in South Australia.

The project also proposes to add up to 50MW of hydrogen production capability (or up to 25,000kg per day) on-site or at Port Pirie, pending the outcome of a state government-backed feasibility study.

In a statement on Tuesday, Neoen said its “next generation” clean energy plans had received the green light from government to proceed to development and help “keep the lights on and cut electricity bills” for the households and businesses.

“With this project, we look forward to building on the success of the Hornsdale Wind Farm and Power Reserve, which since commencing operations in 2017, has helped to stabilise the grid and saved South Australian consumers over $50 million,” said Neoen Australia’s head of development, Garth Heron.

“Changing the role of renewables, from just providing power when available to providing firm power 24-hours a day is essential for long-term sustainability, and this project will the first of its kind to offer that type of power service in Australia.”

Minister for Energy and Mining Dan van Holst Pellekaan said planning approval for Crystal Brook Energy Park was further evidence of the Marshall government’s determination to provide cheaper, cleaner and more reliable electricity for South Australians.

Full article : https://reneweconomy.com.au/sa-approves ... hub-56901/

[bits]

Are approvals all that important?

Tell me when something is under construction.

[SBD]

Are approvals all that important?

Tell me when something is under construction.

They seem to be a necessary step in the process, but there seem to be a lot more approvals than ever get constructed. I think by the time they seek planning approval, they have already negotiated rights to the land and someone to provide the hardware. Unfortunately, this approval appears to be earlier than deciding how to pay for construction or convincing anyone else to pay for it, and also before they get permission to connect it to the grid or contracting anyone to do the actual build, so there is still a long time to come and several potential points of failure ahead of actual construction.

[bits]

I thought the majority of approvals are obtained for the speculated value rather than because they ever planned to build something.

I doubt many of these approved projects will ever be built. Hence I would prefer to hear about projects that are actually progressing towards construction.

[SBD]

I thought the majority of approvals are obtained for the speculated value rather than because they ever planned to build something.

I doubt many of these approved projects will ever be built. Hence I would prefer to hear about projects that are actually progressing towards construction.

It only has value if someone is prepared to buy it (or if it is going to be built by whoever applied for the approval). It looks like a lot of work goes into making an application - it's not something we can sit here and do over the weekend.

Some of the power station proposals have a first-mover advantage. There is benefit in being in the energy spot market before other proposals have had a chance to reduce the height and frequency of price spikes. There is also a limited capacity in the grid. There migth be three proposals in a similar area, but the wires only have the capacity to carry the power away from one of them. They seek development approval before they can go to the AEMO/AER to get permission to connect. That seems to be less of an issue if they are connecting to the main lines between Port Augusta (Davenport substation) and Adelaide as that is where the SA grid is strongest due to having been developed for the big coal power stations. I'm surprised there isn't a proposal in the pipeline for a solar power station near Wudinna, as far west (later sunset) as it is possible to connect to the grid, and scaled to the capacity of the grid flowing east.

[rhino]

I'm surprised there isn't a proposal in the pipeline for a solar power station near Wudinna, as far west (later sunset) as it is possible to connect to the grid, and scaled to the capacity of the grid flowing east.

Interesting concept.

[PeFe]

ARENA (Renewable energy fund) committed to fund one pumped hydro project in South Australia.
Hopefully AGL will build Kanmantoo even if no government funding comes their way.
From Renew Economy

ARENA commits $40m to fast-track South Australia pumped hydro



The Australian Renewable Energy Agency says it is committing up to $40 million to fast-track the first pumped hydro storage project in South Australia, saying the need is growing more urgent as the share of wind and solar surges beyond 50 per cent.

ARENA CEO Darren Miller says the funding will be available for just one of four pumped hydro projects that have approached the agency for funding. The criteria will be capacity of at least 200MW and reaching financial close by June 30 next year.

ARENA says it will work with both the federal Coalition government’s Underwriting New Generation Investment program, which included three South Australia pumped hydro projects in its short list of 12, and the state government’s separate $50 million program to encourage grid storage.

It appears, however, that the ARENA funding will augment the UNGI scheme, which was supposed to have been finalised by the end of June, but that was an impossible promise made on the expectation that the Coalition would lose the May election, and would not have to deliver it.

RenewEconomy understands that consultancy ACIL Allen is currently talking to the short-listed projects as part of a general consultation process before the UNGI scheme moves to the next stage. Exactly how much money, and on what basis, could be allocated has never been disclosed.

ARENA’s Miller says the agency’s funding will help to fast track the development of South Australia’s first pumped hydro plant. The four plants had already been assessed favourably under its Advancing Renewables Program, and they were now invited to put forward proposals on how they will reach financial close.

The winner will likely be the one with the lowest funding request. Proposals are due in October, with a decision later this year.

Two of the ARENA shortlisted pumped hydro plants – Sunset Power and Delta Energy’s 242MW/1,835MW Goat Hill project near Port Augusta, and Rise Renewables’ 250MW/2,000MWh Baroota project in which UPC bought a majority stake in this week – are also in the UNGI shortlist.

Full article : https://reneweconomy.com.au/arena-commi ... dro-97982/

[PeFe]

I'm surprised there isn't a proposal in the pipeline for a solar power station near Wudinna, as far west (later sunset) as it is possible to connect to the grid, and scaled to the capacity of the grid flowing east.

Interesting concept.

I too have always wondered why there aren't more renewables coming out of the Eyre Peninsula.....and of course the answer is "too small transmission lines"

The western side of Eyre Peninsula is a perfect place for wind farms and Ceduna would be a great place for a solar farms (sunset 45 minutes later than Adelaide) but of course no way of getting all that energy back into the main grid.

Maybe 20 years in the future new lines can be constructed there and their produce shipped east....

https://www.electranet.com.au/what-we-d ... twork-map/

[SBD]

I'm surprised there isn't a proposal in the pipeline for a solar power station near Wudinna, as far west (later sunset) as it is possible to connect to the grid, and scaled to the capacity of the grid flowing east.

Interesting concept.

I too have always wondered why there aren't more renewables coming out of the Eyre Peninsula.....and of course the answer is "too small transmission lines"

The western side of Eyre Peninsula is a perfect place for wind farms and Ceduna would be a great place for a solar farms (sunset 45 minutes later than Adelaide) but of course no way of getting all that energy back into the main grid.

Maybe 20 years in the future new lines can be constructed there and their produce shipped east....

https://www.electranet.com.au/what-we-d ... twork-map/

How much power can be pushed through the 132kV line from Wudinna to Yadnarie? I believe there's already a plan to upgrade/duplicate the line between there and Whyalla. Could someone establish 2-300MW solar plant out from Wudinna and supply all demands of Eyre Peninsula with power to spare for the evening peak east of Spencer Gulf?

[PeFe]

There was a proposal for a 50 mw solar farm at Wudinna a couple of years ago.....I haven't heard anything about it for quite a while.