The Anonymous Widower

National Grid To Accelerate Up To 20GW Of Grid Connections Across Its Transmission And Distribution Networks

The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from National Grid.

These four bullet points, act as sub-headings.

• Connection dates of 10GW of battery projects accelerated at transmission level, and 10GW of capacity unlocked at distribution level, both part of the Electricity System Operator (ESO)’s connections five-point plan.
• Battery energy storage projects connecting to the transmission network to be offered new connection dates averaging four years earlier than their current agreement.
• The accelerated 20GW equates to the capacity of six Hinkley Point C nuclear power stations.
• Work is part of ongoing collaborative industry efforts, together with Ofgem and government, to speed up and reform connections.

This is the opening paragraph.

National Grid is accelerating the connection of up to 20GW of clean energy projects to its electricity transmission and distribution networks in England and Wales as part of ongoing collaborative work across industry.

As I write this, the UK is generating 38.5 GW of electricity, so another 20 GW will be a large increase in capacity.

I shall look at what National Grid are proposing in sections.

10 GW Of Battery Power

These two paragraphs, outline the plan for 10 GW of battery power.

On its transmission network, 19 battery energy storage projects worth around 10GW will be offered dates to plug in averaging four years earlier than their current agreement, based on a new approach which removes the need for non-essential engineering works prior to connecting storage.

The new policy is part of National Grid’s connections reform initiative targeting transmission capacity, spearheaded by the ESO – which owns the contractual relationship with connecting projects – and actioned jointly with National Grid Electricity Transmission (ET), the part of the business which designs and builds the transmission infrastructure needed in England and Wales to plug projects in.

It looks to me that someone has been doing some serious mathematical modelling of the UK’s electricity network.

Fifty years ago, I provided the differential equation solving software, that enabled the Water Resources Board to plan, where reservoirs and pipelines were to be built. I have no idea how successful it was, but we don’t seem to have any serious water supply problems, except when there is equipment failures or serious drought.

But modelling water and electrical networks is mathematically similar, with rainfall, pipelines and reservoirs in the water network and power generation, transmission lines and batteries and pumped storage hydroelectricity in the electricity network.

I’d be interesting to know what software was used to solve the mathematical model.

I certainly agree with the solution.

Two of our modern sources of renewable energy; solar and wind are not very predictable, but cost a lot of capital investment to build.

So it is very wrong not to do something positive with any excess electricity generated. And what better place to put it than in a battery, so it can be retrieved later.

The earlier, the batteries come on stream, the earlier, the batteries can save all the excess electricity.

So moving the plug in dates for battery storage four years earlier is a very positive thing to do.

A simple calculation shows that for 10 GW, we would need nineteen batteries of about 526 MW.

Ideally, like power stations, they would be spread around the country.

Could Pumped-Storage Hydroelectricity Be Used?

The largest battery in the UK is the Dinorwig pumped-storage hydroelectric power station, which is commonly known as Electric Mountain or Mynydd Gwefru if you’re Welsh.

• It opened in 1984, after a ten years of construction.
• It has a power output of 1.8 GW.
• The energy storage capacity of the station is around 9.1 GWh.

Roughly, every gigawatt of output is backed up by 5 GWh of storage.

If the proposed nineteen new batteries have the same power to storage ratio as Electric Mountain, then each battery will have a storage capacity of 2.63 GWh

SSE Renewables are planning two large pumped-storage hydroelectric power stations in Scotland.

• Coire Glas – 1.5 GW/30 GWh – Possible completion in 2031.
• Loch Sloy – 152.5 MW/25 GWh – See SSE Unveils Redevelopment Plans For Sloy Hydro-Electric Power Station.

A quick calculation, says we’d need seven pumped-storage hydroelectric power stations, which need a lot of space and a handy mountain.

I don’t think pumped-storage hydroelectric would be feasible.

Could Lithium-Ion Batteries Be Used?

My mathematical jottings have shown we need nineteen batteries with this specification.

• An output of about 526 MW.
• A storage capacity of around 2.63 GWh

This Wikipedia entry gives a list of the world’s largest battery power stations.

The current largest is Vistra Moss Landing battery in California, which has this specification.

• An output of 750 MW.
• A storage capacity of 3 GWh

Reading the Wikipedia entry for Vistra Moss Landing, it appears to have taken five years to construct.

I believe that nineteen lithium-ion batteries could handle National Grid’s need and they could be built in a reasonable time.

Could Any Other Batteries Be Used?

Rounding the battery size, I feel it would be better have twenty batteries with this specification.

• An output of 500 MW.
• A storage capacity of 2.5 GWh

Are there any companies that could produce a battery of that size?

Form Energy

Form Energy are well-backed with an MIT heritage, but their largest proposed battery is only 10 MW/1 GWh.

They could be a possibility, but I feel it’s only a small chance.

Highview Power

Highview Power say this about their next projects on this page of their web site.

Highview Power’s next projects will be located in Scotland and the North East and each will be 200MW/2.5GWh capacity. These will be located on the national transmission network where the wind is being generated and therefore will enable these regions to unleash their untapped renewable energy potential and store excess wind power at scale.

Note.

1. This is more like the size.
2. Work is now underway at Carrington – a 50MW / 300MWh plant at Trafford Energy Park near Manchester.
3. Highview’s technology uses liquid air to store energy and well-proven turbo-machinery.
4. Highview have a co-operation agreement with Ørsted

They are a definite possibility.

10 GW Of Extra Unlocked Capacity

These two paragraphs, outline the plan for 10 GW of extra unlocked capacity.

On its distribution network in the Midlands, South West of England and South Wales, the additional 10GW of unlocked capacity announced recently is set to accelerate the connection of scores of low carbon technology projects, bringing forward some ‘shovel ready’ schemes by up to five years.

National Grid has already been in contact with more than 200 projects interested in fast tracking their distribution connection dates in the first wave of the capacity release, with 16 expressing an interest in connecting in the next 12 months and another 180 looking to connect within two to five years.

This page from National Grid ESO, lists the actions that were taken to release the extra grid capacity.

Conclusion

This looks to be a very good plan from National Grid.

 

 

November 6, 2023 - Posted by AnonW | Energy, Energy Storage | Ørsted, Coire Glas Pumped Hydro, Dinorwig Power Station (Electric Mountain), Form Energy, Highview Power, Loch Sloy Pumped Hydro, Moss Landing Power Plant, National Grid, Pumped Storage Hydroelectricity, SSE Renewables, Water Resources Board