The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has awarded $499,744 in funding to Monash University to examine oscillation concerns in Australia’s national energy grid.
The $1.3 million project will help develop a tool to aid in the identification of the root causes of oscillatory instability and identify potential solutions. The tool will be useful for the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) and Transmission Network Service Providers (TNSPs) with system planning, grid connection, and operations applications.
Researchers at Monash University are developing a tool to address oscillatory instability, enabling faster solutions and aiding system planners in designing more resilient energy grids.
The initiative is expected to minimise barriers to the connection and operation of inverter-based resources by assisting system planners in avoiding and resolving upcoming oscillatory stability concerns induced by high levels of wind and solar.
According to ARENA, oscillatory instability is frequently a sign of a weak system in today’s power system. In 2019-20, oscillatory instability was noticed in the West Murray Region, prompting AEMO to reduce the output of five solar farms while it investigated the cause and potential solutions.
The project’s success will expedite understanding of these events’ nature and origin, enabling stakeholders to proactively manage associated risks.
The project will improve grid stability to support renewable generation growth, reduce investment constraints in renewable generation in vulnerable grid locations, optimise production from existing wind and solar farms in vulnerable grid areas, and enable the connection of additional renewable generation by addressing oscillation risks.
ARENA CEO Darren Miller stated that these concerns must be addressed to avoid long-term issues for the National Electricity Market.
“To manage the risk of instability in an increasingly inverter-based grid, it is necessary to build reliable and efficient tools that can identify root causes early. These tools should also be useful to explore the suitability of solutions for a grid increasingly dominated by renewable generation,” Miller said.
“Researchers at Monash University are working b the best solutions for oscillations and we’re confident in the outcomes that could help in the ramp up of new renewable energy generation and storage projects,” he added.
Monash Grid Innovation Director Associate Professor Behrooz Bahrani commented, “Enhancing the resilience and stability of our national energy grid is paramount as we accelerate our transition to renewable energy. With the expertise of Monash University researchers and the support from ARENA, this groundbreaking project promises to address current oscillation challenges and pave the way for a robust, reliable and renewable future for our energy infrastructure. Our commitment to facilitating a seamless integration of renewables into our grid is unwavering, and we’re optimistic about the innovative solutions this collaboration will bring forth.”
ARENA previously funded Monash University’s research into inverter designs that improve reliable operation in weak grid conditions. The 2020 research findings will be used in the current study to demonstrate how several IBRs interact with one another across the National Electricity Market (NEM) and how oscillation concerns can be overcome.
