"Converting for Continuity"

"Converting for Continuity"

Introduction

Imagine the energy sector as a grand orchestra, now transitioning to a new symphony of sustainability. Power plant conversion projects are the master in this movement, striking a harmonious balance between legacy infrastructure and modern grid stability needs. Let's delve into how these projects are redefining the future of energy.

The Growing Market for Stability

  • A Surge in Demand for Inertia - With Europe's bold strides away from fossil fuels, a burgeoning market for grid stability services emerges. Power plant conversion projects adeptly step into this breach, offering inertia - a vital element that maintains the grid's rhythmic flow amidst variable renewable outputs.

Leveraging Existing Infrastructure

  • Cost-Effective Transformations - These projects are a testament to innovation, turning existing assets into modern stabilizers of the electric grid. They exemplify efficiency, sidestepping the need for new constructions and enabling a quicker, cost-effective response to the shifting energy paradigm.

Cost Competitiveness and Quick Deployment

  • The Financially Savvy Choice - Offering inertia and stability through converted plants in many cases, comes at a better revenue model suiting to the regional contract mechanism - presenting an alluring financial model that smartly extends the operational lifespan of existing assets.
  • Speed as a Competitive Edge - Quick to deploy, these projects can offer grid stability services within 12 to 24 months, positioning them as agile players in a market that values rapid solutions.

Insights from Industry Experts

  • Andrew Crosby CEng 's In-Depth Analysis - Drawing from Andrew Crosby's profound article , we're introduced to the technical, economic, and strategic considerations crucial for a power plant's conversion to a synchronous condenser. This transformation champions reliability and cost savings, as well as a seamless switch between generation modes -solidifying the role of such converted plants in a resilient grid system.

Conclusion

Power plant conversion projects are not mere upgrades; they are strategic manoeuvre ensuring a stable, sustainable energy future.

As we explore the intricacies and feasibility of these conversions, we lay the groundwork for a grid that's not just surviving but thriving in the face of renewable integration.

Let's engage in this pivotal conversation. How do you see conversion projects shaping the future of energy and grid stability?

#EnergyTransition #GridStability #PowerPlantConversion #SustainableEnergy #Innovation

Olaf Schmidt

Project- & Businessdevelopment for Rotating Grid Stabilization bei Siemens Energy

9 个月

Hallo Vijay, as very often emphasised before. Assets can be invetested for one limited budget not two times. This makes sense to re use existing assets to Syncons with or without increased inertia. But why not bringing this opportunity to the start of lifetime. Purposive from start. It is technical feasible but not very common to design power stations for bi-functional operation modes. 1. Power generation and after switch over times 2. Grid stabilization mode with or without increased inertia. This must be addressed to rule makers in EU, UK etc. .

回复
Philip Sellwood CBE

Chair, Non-Executive, Advisor, Trustee specialising in Sustainable energy, Transport and Smart technologies

9 个月

VJ, very thought provoking. Thanks. One observation that is mentioned but perhaps needs to be more salient is the ability of these conversions to provide greater flexibility/agility not only in the process of system integration but also the opportunity it gives to think more flexibly. Changing the Grid system without adapting our thinking will in my opinion lead potentially to sub optimal solutions. Thanks for sharing. Philip

Patrik Ernst

Grid stability and System strength is always underestimated.

9 个月

It is possible to convert existing power plants to synchronous condenser. This was made in the past and will be done in future as well BUT a very precise analysis must be done. Again of the components, different use case and therefore different stress for the components, ... As said, possible but you need to be aware of the risk and cost.

Adam Middleton

Vice President, Siemens Energy

9 个月

Thanks for this insightful article Vijay Shinde I specifically like the concept of repurposing legacy assets into new solutions for a decarbonising network. What’s the downside? Interested to know your views

Ian Waller

Founding Partner at IN PERPETUUM PARTNERS LLP

10 个月

Thanks for promoting the debate Vijay Shinde Long time since I for involved in AFRO testing at Sidwell B during the tail end of commissioning there, so my technical knowledge on this sector isn’t bang up to date. I speak from a strategic point of view. Seems to me that as we move forward to higher demand (>80GW?) with that demand coming from electrical heating and mobility more and more, we need a resilient and stable grid that provides supply when it’s not sunny or windy. We maybe need 160GW of zero carbon generation with capacity to store that energy and make it available promptly. Should that storage capacity be insufficient for a week of low wind in winter, then we need additional despatchable power sources that support the net zero ambition. These could be nuclear, fossil sources with carbon capture and storage or biomass with some CCS or renewable biomethane/ syngas (&CCS). I see a net zero world, with supply side technologies that become more diverse and therefore the need for grid balancing mechanisms will become greater. I completely agree that we should repurpose as much existing asset as we can in order to reduce the barrier to entry for the generating mix. From memory, nuclear doesn’t do AFRO well.

要查看或添加评论,请登录

社区洞察

其他会员也浏览了