A review of frequency-control techniques for wind power stations to enable higher penetration of renewables onto the Irish power system
James Boyle, Tim Littler
Abstract
The Governments of Ireland and Northern Ireland have set the target of supplying at least 80 % of the all-island electricity demand from renewable energy sources by 2030. This will only be achievable when wind power stations can successfully provide dispatchable generation, and synthetic inertia or other fast-frequency response to retard the rate of change of frequency during contingencies. This paper provides an overview of the current active power control requirements for wind power stations in Ireland and Northern Ireland as well as a critical review of synthetic inertia schemes proposed in literature. Successful implementation of synthetic inertia will enable more non-synchronous renewable generation to be connected to the electricity network without increasing the risk of frequency instability. Some of the synthetic inertia schemes proposed in literature cannot be implemented safely or they produce excessively aggressive responses, which prevents them from being considered for adoption by wind turbine manufacturers. The paper also discusses wind-battery projects to enable higher penetrations of renewables onto the all-island electricity network of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Future wind-battery projects are likely to incorporate long-duration (+ 8 h) storage to enable wind power stations to provide dispatchable generation at times when wind speed is low. Contracts for collaborative wind-battery projects are becoming more common in Ireland, with many more expected to be in service before the end of the decade.