World's first decentralized grid boosters to provide stability
05/17/2023
Source: Energy & Management Powernews
Amprion plans to connect the world's first decentralized grid booster in Eon's distribution grid. The modular battery storage units are to help stabilize the power grid.
The first grid booster system is planned in the area of LEW Verteilnetz (LVN), a regional grid operator of Eon in Bavarian Swabia. The concept was developed by the transmission system operator Amprion and the energy company Eon as part of a cooperation that has been in place since the end of 2020. The aim of the cooperation is, among other things, the joint development of innovative operating resources for system stability.
The Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) has now given Amprion the green light in principle to implement the concept, the companies say. "The decentralized grid booster will help Amprion and Eon to keep the power grid stable and at the same time reduce the costs of grid interventions and thus grid fees in Germany," Amprion CEO Hans Jürgen Brick said.
"The energy infrastructure of transmission and distribution system operators is of outstanding importance for achieving the climate policy goals of the German government. Through our joint projects, we aim to optimize grid operations holistically. For the benefit of our customers and a climate-neutral energy system," said Thomas König, Eon network board member.
Network boosters are large-scale battery storage systems that help to increase the utilization of the power grid. Only when a disturbance occurs in the transmission grid, the grid boosters react quickly and counteract disturbance-related overloads. The battery storage units can provide their power for this within fractions of a second. This means that no emergency capacities have to be kept free on the lines, which is why costs for congestion management are also reduced.
For the first time, the concept of the decentralized grid booster envisages connecting several smaller, modular battery storage units at the distribution grid level. This setup reduces connection costs, increases the overall availability of the storage system and increases flexibility in the distribution grid, according to Eon. The modular components could also be implemented more quickly and would have less impact on the environment.
The distributed modules offer a total capacity of about 250 MW. The first plant in the LVN area is expected to be ready for startup in 2026.
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