If COVID-19 has taught us anything about the future of the energy system, it’s that we’re in for a bumpy ride. With record high balancing costs, the rapid introduction of new services like Optional Downward Flexibility Management (ODFM) – which offers commercial-scale renewables generators remuneration for switching off – and problems with voltage, inertia and frequency, the UK’s electricity system operator National Grid ESO (NGESO) has faced many challenges over the summer that foreshadow the low carbon world of tomorrow.
As the electricity system transitions into a low carbon system, with renewables replacing large thermal generation, system inertia is set to fall. Lower system inertia causes system frequency to deviate from its usual 50Hz much quicker than before, (sometimes called ROCOF or rate of change of frequency) and NGESO needs new tools to operate effectively, and ultimately keep the lights on.
As part of this transition, existing services (such as Firm Frequency Response – FFR) will be replaced by newer, faster acting products, the latest of which is Dynamic Containment (DC). DC is the flagship product of a new suite of ancillary services (see Table 1) and is the first that NGESO plan to release, launching October 2020.
This piece intends to explore:
- The new Dynamic Containment (DC) product
- How the service will launch
- The impact on battery energy storage assets
DC provides frequency response ‘post-fault’ i.e. after frequency breaches specific upper/lower limits, however a small response is also required inside those limits. Comparing DC to the existing FFR product, the response profile for DC effectively extends the existing FFR boundaries for which (little or) no response is required, whilst decreasing the response time required from assets. (see Figure 1 for a comparison of response profiles).
Launch brings new 500MW capacity auction and closer to real time procurement
Having initially been delayed in the face of COVID 19, Dynamic Containment will commence on October 1st, 2020 as part of a ‘soft launch’, with the full rollout of the service expected in 2021. So, what can we expect on 1st October and beyond?
Recent Comments