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Hydro, Wave and Tidal Energy Applications
By
K.R Rao
K.R Rao
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ISBN:
9780791888179
No. of Pages:
250
Publisher:
ASME
Publication date:
2025

Hydro Tasmania has developed a remote island power system in the Bass Strait, Australia, that achieves a high level of renewable energy penetration through the integration of wind and solar generation with new and innovative storage and enabling technologies. The ongoing development of the power system is focused on reducing or replacing the use of diesel fuel while maintaining power quality and system security in a low inertia system. In recent years Hydro Tasmania has undertaken several renewable energy developments on King Island with the aim to reduce dependence on diesel, reduce operating cost and greenhouse gas emissions, and demonstrate the potential for renewable energy penetration in power systems. This has been achieved through the substitution of diesel based generation with renewables such as wind and solar and the integration of enabling technologies such as storage and a dynamic frequency control resistor. The projects completed to date include:

  • Wind farm developments completed in 1997 and expanded to 2.25 MW in 2003;

  • Installation of a 200 kW, 800 kWh Vanadium Redox Battery (2003);

  • Installation of a two-axis tracking 100 kW solar photovoltaic array (2008), and

  • Development of a 1.5 MW dynamic frequency control resistor bank, that operates during excessive wind generation (2010).

The results achieved to date include 85% instantaneous renewable energy penetration and an annual contribution of over 35%, forecast to increase to 45% post commissioning of the resistor. Hydro Tasmania has designed a further innovative program of renewable energy and enabling technology projects. The proposed King Island Renewable Energy Integration Project, which recently received funding support from the Australian Federal Government, is currently under assessment to be rolled out by Hydro Tasmania (including elements with our partners CBD Energy) by 2012. These include:

  • Installation of short term energy storage (flywheels) to improve system security during periods of high wind;

  • Reinstatement or replacement of the Vanadium Redox Battery (VRB), that is currently out of service due to an operational event that led to damage to the system’s cell stacks. It is envisioned that a proportion of the wind spill currently consumed in the dynamic resistor could be recovered with the VRB and used to cover periods of low wind generation.

  • Wind expansion — includes increasing the existing farm capacity by up to 4 MW;

  • Graphite energy storage — installation of graphite block thermal storage units for storing and recovering spilt wind energy.

  • Biodiesel project — conversion of fuel systems and generation units to operate on B100 (100% biodiesel); and

  • Smart Grid Development—Demand Side Management — establishing the ability to control demand side response through the use of smart metering throughout the Island community.

This program of activities aims to achieve a greater than 65% long term contribution from renewable energy sources (excluding biodiesel contribution), with 100% instantaneous renewable energy penetration. The use of biodiesel will see a 95% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. The projects will address the following issues of relevance to small and large scale power systems aiming to achieve high levels of renewable energy penetration:

  • Management of low inertia and low fault level operation;

  • Effectiveness of short term storage in managing system security;

  • Testing alternative system frequency control strategies; and

  • Impact of demand side management on stabilizing wind energy variability.

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