The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has launched a roadmap to operating Australia’s National Electricity Market (NEM) solely on renewable energies.
Chief Executive of AEMO, Daniel Westerman said the Engineering Roadmap to 100% Renewables provided an overview of the engineering challenges and necessary actions.
Mr Westerman said the Roadmap supported industry discussion and prioritised investment as the renewable resource potential in the NEM increased to meet 100 per cent of demand as early as 2025.
“Australia is transitioning from a historic dependency on coal generation to higher levels of renewable energy, supported by firming technologies, like pumped hydro, batteries and gas generation, and transmission developments to share low-cost sources of energy to our towns and cities,” Mr Westerman said.
“Complementing these investments is the shared responsibility to also re-engineer the power system to run reliably and securely on higher levels of renewable energy,” he said.
“Being ready to operate the power system with high penetration levels of renewables is critical to ensure a smooth energy transition, meet Australia’s emission reduction commitments and ensure reliable, secure and affordable energy for consumers into the future.”
Mr Westerman said while the Report was focused on the NEM, learnings were also being applied to Western Australia’s South West Interconnected System (SWIS) and Wholesale Electricity Market (WEM).
He said the Roadmap was divided into three broad technical themes – power system security, system operability and resource adequacy – with associated preconditions and actions to operate NEM for periods of up to 100 per cent renewable generation.
“This includes investigating new sources of firming capacity, system restoration, and system strength services, including energy storage,” the CEO said.
“Initial analysis indicates the equivalent of up to 40 large synchronous condensers may be needed for 100 per cent renewable penetration, potentially provided by a range of technologies,” he said.
“Importantly, further work will be needed to ensure that any investment decisions to deliver the engineering requirements are made in the long term interests of consumers, and underpinned by efficient regulatory and market solutions.”
AEMO’s 101-page Roadmap can be accessed at this PS News link.
