The Future for electricity transmission in Europe and the integration of wind power

The challenges facing the integration of wind power

To fully integrate wind power into the grid there needs to be a systematic upgrade of the existing infrastructure, as well as the introduction of new technology and network management techniques. Furthermore the development of offshore super grids may be the most effective way of sourcing renewable energy from wind power and distributing it efficiently.

Transmission capacity must be significantly increased to accept the introduction of wind power, and some of the measures that can be taken include utilizing existing transmission lines to their maximum capacity, investment in the construction of new transmission lines, and investment in other areas of the network and the upgrade of assets.

Existing lines can be maximised to their full potential by operating them at higher capacity, which would need to be supported by temperature monitoring to ensure network integrity. The cross border exchange of power between countries can also be streamlined and seen as a measure to ease congestion. Automatic generation control systems, or managed demand-side control systems may also be options to alleviate congestion and control the network, but these are seen as short term options as they are not efficient in terms of energy generation.

The most obvious form of network upgrade is the construction of new, high voltage power lines. In many cases this is unavoidable to connect offshore wind farms to the grid due to their location and the lack of existing transmission lines. One of the challenges facing TSO’s here is the fact that planning permissions for new lines often takes 10-12 years, much longer than the planning permissions for offshore wind farms. TSO’s are faced with making early decisions on the proposals of new lines to ensure they are in place in time for when a wind farm becomes operational. This presents a risk for the industry, as at the time of planning it cannot be assured that the construction of a particular wind farm will actually go ahead.

Investment in assets and other areas of the network is another possibility that will aid the integration of wind power and realise increased power supply and ease of exchange with other countries. This may include adding transformers to existing substations to increase load capacity, replacing line conductors with high temperature conductors or adding second circuit lines to towers, or replacing transmission lines with higher voltage lines and increasing capacity.

Increased transmission capacity is vital for the integration of wind power to the grid, but equally the EU has taken steps to ensure fair access for wind power. The ‘third liberalisation package’ stipulates that TSO’s ensure that there is sufficient transmission capacity to integrate renewable energy into the grid. While this can present a problem for TSO’s in terms of planning permissions in regard to constructing new lines to connect to wind farms, in the interim the problem is usually solved by ‘connecting and managing’ where grid capacity is limited.

The development of super grids

According to the organisation ‘Friends of the Super grid’, a super grid can be defined as, "An electricity transmission system, mainly based on direct current, designed to facilitate large-scale sustainable power generation in remote areas for transmission to centres of consumption, one of whose fundamental attributes will be the enhancement of the market in electricity".(5)

Source: Friends of the Super grid phase 1 proposal (⁶)

The development of an offshore super grid is becoming the most likely route towards harnessing renewable energy from wind power. The creation of ‘supernodes’ which will collect, integrate and distribute electricity will enable full integration in the long term future. The phase 1 example of the North Sea super grid proposed by the ‘Friends of the Super grid’ above, shows how the initial development may look. With the power generated by offshore wind estimated to be over 150MW by 2030 by the EWEA (European Wind Energy Association), a network connecting countries via the North Sea will enable supply and distribution to areas of demand, and ease cross-country distribution significantly.

Looking towards 2050 and a zero-carbon society, it is estimated that large wind fired power stations will be the building blocks of the super grid, with up to 500MW of capacity. This will enable the connection of several wind farms to one power station which can control the variable power output and integrate it fully via the network.

Vertrieb 3.0 - welche Möglichkeiten bieten iPad & Co?

IQPC hat mehrere spannende Interviews zum Thema Mobile Workforce Management und Vertrieb 3.0 geführt.

So unter anderen mit Karl-Heinz Gerl von RDE Regionale Dienstleistungen Energie GmbH & Co. KG und Dipl.-HTL-Ing. Manfred Farthofer, MSc(GIS) bei Salzburg AG für Energie, Verkehr und Telekommunikation.

	Interview mit Karl-Heinz Gerl IQPC hat Karl-Heinz Gerl von RDE Regionale Dienstleistungen Energie GmbH & Co. KG exklusiv nach der Bedeutung von Mobile Workforce Managements befragt. File name: Mobile Workforce Management - Karl-Heinz Gerl
	Interview mit Manfred Farthofer IQPC hat Manfred Farthofer, Dipl.-HTL-Ing. Manfred Farthofer, MSc(GIS) bei Salzburg AG für Energie, Verkehr und Telekommunikation exklusiv nach der Bedeutung von Mobile Workforce Management bei der Salzburg AG befragt. File name: Mobile Workforce Management – Manfred Farthofer

Lesen Sie diese exklusiven Interviews hier: http://goo.gl/uitIR 
Dort finden Sie auch weitere kostenlose Whitepaper, Artikel und Präsentationen zum Thema. 

Harmonised HSE standards for the offshore wind power industry

The offshore wind energy industry can still be considered a fledgling industry, and as such there is little experience to draw on in relation to health and safety. The specific environment that an offshore wind farm presents requires its own dedicated health and safety standards. Furthermore the industry is set to grow substantially in the coming decades, so the development of health and safety procedures will need to be an ongoing process to ensure that best practice is consistently carried out, and standards do not become quickly out-dated.

Health and safety regulations impact on everyone involved in an offshore wind farm project including developers, manufacturers, suppliers, consultants and employees. With so many contributors, from several different countries involved in any one project, a harmonised health and safety standard across the industry is widely accepted as a necessary step in the development of wind power as Europe’s prominent energy source.

In the current climate, each country that has offshore wind farms within its waters has its own regulatory authority, which sets out its own regulations and requirements. There is a desire amongst the executive bodies to communicate and develop an agreed standard throughout Europe, and several studies have been undertaken to collate data in respect of offshore incidents and issues to aid that process.

General health and safety legislation and legal requirements

Some of the general health and safety laws which can be applied to the offshore wind power industry are detailed in this section, although none are specifically written for the industry (1). In practice, workers on offshore wind farms are more likely to follow the regulations set out by the company by which they are contracted.

The Energy Act (LOV 1990-06-29 nr 50: Act on the generation, transmission, trading, distribution and use of energy etc). The act is applicable to electrical energy and its generation, transmission, trading and distribution on land to ensure that the activities are undertaken in a socially efficient manner. Much of the act regards the applications and issuing of licences for the development of electrical equipment. In this respect it may affect the offshore wind industry, although little pertains directly to health and safety.

The Ocean Energy Act (LOV 2010-06-04 nr 21: Act on renewable energy production at sea) came into force in June 2010, and is applicable to the utilization of renewable energy at sea; including wind, waves and tides. It also regulates the conversion and transmission of electrical energy offshore. The main purpose of the act is to facilitate the use of these resources in line with social objectives, and to ensure that any offshore installations are planned, constructed and disposed of in the interests of the environment, energy, and business. One requirement is that the installation, the operation, and the decommissioning of offshore energy plants should be such that “a high level of health and safety” can be maintained and developed in accordance with technological advances.

IEC 88/379/NP: Standard for Floating Offshore Wind Turbines: The new proposal was first issued in October 2010, since when the title has been changed from ‘Standard’ to ‘Technical Specification’. While it is still only a draft, the proposal includes guidelines for floating offshore wind turbines using design concepts such as spar buoys, tension leg platforms, barges, and mooring systems. The aim of the specification is to “provide an appropriate level of protection against damage from all hazards during the planned lifetime”. It defines in detail the “principles, technical requirements and assessment procedures for the design, installation, and maintenance of floating offshore wind turbines”.

Other legislation that could concern offshore wind power in relation to health and safety would include the Employment Protection Act, and possibly the Pollution Act.

Want to learn more about specific health and safety standards for offshore environments? Click here for more information, articles, and whitepapers.

References

(1) http://www.sintef.no/upload/Teknologi_og_samfunn/Sikkerhet%20og%20p%C3%A5litelighet/Final%20report%20HSE%20challenges%20offshore%20renewable%20energy.pdf

Wie schätzen Sie die zukünftige Bedeutung von virtuellen Kraftwerken für den Regelenergiemarkt ein?

IQPC hat ein exklusives Kurzinterview mit Jochen Schwill, Geschäftsführer, Next Kraftwerke GmbH geführt.

IQPC: Welche Themen sind für Sie als Teilnehmer am Regelenergiemarkt-Strom gerade besonders aktuell?

Tipp: Zukunftsperspektiven für den Regelenergiemarkt -Strom vom 14 - 16 November, 2011 im Steigenberger Hotel Berlin

Herr Schwill: 
Die besonders aktuellen sind derzeit die Teilnahme von Erneuerbarer Energien am Regelenergiemarkt und die Veränderung des Marktdesigns seitens der BNetzA


IQPC: Wie schätzen Sie die zukünftige Bedeutung von virtuellen Kraftwerken für den Regelenergiemarkt ein?

Herr Schwill: 
 - Virtuelle Kraftwerke werden eine feste Rolle im Minuten- und Sekundärreservemarkt einnehmen. Kraftwerke werden aber weiterhin den Großteil der Regelung übernehmen.



IQPC: Nutzen Sie die Möglichkeit der Demand-Respose-Solution?

Herr Schwill:
- Wir als Unternehmen schließen ebenfalls Verbraucher an unser virtuelles Regelkraftwerk an


IQPC: Wie schätzen Sie die Veränderungen auf dem Regelenergiemarkt ein, wenn auch die
erneuerbaren Energien daran teilnehmen können?

Herr Schwill: Regelbare EE werden sicherlich eine große Rolle spielen können und müssen zur Bereitstellung
von Regelenergie. Wind und PV werden nur schwer zu Regelenergie beitragen können.


IQPC: Vor welchen Herausforderungen stehen Netzbetreiber in Hinblick auf die in Zukunft
steigende dezentrale und volatile Energieeinspeisung?

Herr Schwill: Die Abschätzung des Regelenergiebedarfs wird komplexer. Dazu wird auch die Stabilität
regionaler Netze eine Herausforderung. Redispatch wird steigen. Vielleicht müssen wird zukünftig
regionalere Marktplätze etablieren und die Idee eines einheitlichen deutschen Preises aufgeben.

Möchten Sie mehr über den Regelenergiemarkt Strom erfahren?
Besuchen Sie unser Download Center für weitere Artikel,
Whitepaper und Interviews: Regelenergiemarkt

Forschungszentrum für Hochleistungsbatterien eröffnet

Mit den Batterien steht und fällt laut Forschungsministerin Schavan das Thema Elektromobilität. Um leistungsfähige Energiespeicher zu erforschen, wurde nun mit öffentlichen und privaten Geldern ein Zentrum gegründet.

Landeswirtschaftsminister Nils Schmid (SPD) steckt seine Hand in einen Überdruckraum, in dem Akkus gefertigt werden. 

UlmEin neues Forschungszentrum für die Entwicklung von Hochleistungsbatterien ist am Donnerstag in Ulm eröffnet worden. Im Labor für Batterietechnologie „elab“ des Zentrums für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) soll untersucht werden, wie Lithium-Ionen-Batterien produziert werden können. Zudem können Hersteller in einem Sicherheitstestzentrum ihre Batterien auf Sicherheit und Lebensdauer prüfen.

Lithium-Ionen-Akkus gelten als Hoffnungsträger für den Antrieb künftiger Elektroautos. „Es sind die Batterien, mit denen das Thema Elektromobilität steht und fällt“ sagte Bundesforschungsministerin Annette Schavan (CDU). In dem Labor sollen 50 Menschen an dem Ziel arbeiten, die Industrie bei der Entwicklung der neuen Technologie zu unterstützen, sagte ZSW-Vorstand Werner Tillmetz. Bisher kämpfen die Akkus noch mit geringer Leistung auf zu viel Raum, Schwierigkeiten beim Schnellladen und einem noch hohen Preis.
Die Kosten des Baus hatten der Bund, das Land, die EU, die Stadt und verschiedene Unternehmen wie BMW und Bosch übernommen. Sie belaufen sich auf 27 Millionen Euro.

 

Quelle: dpa

RWE nimmt 60.000 Anlagen zur Ökostrom-Erzeugung ans Netz

Essen - Der Energieriese RWE hat im vergangenen Jahr rund 60.000 Anlagen zur Erzeugung erneuerbarer Energien ans Stromnetz angeschlossen. 95 Prozent davon seien Photovoltaikanlagen, bei dem Rest handele es sich insbesondere um Windräder, so RWE. Damit waren bis Ende 2010 rund 180.000 Anlagen zur alternativen Energieproduktion an das RWE-Stromnetz angeschlossen.

Der Zubau wuchs gegenüber 2009 um 50 Prozent. Bis Ende 2011 rechnet RWE mit weiteren 60.000 Anlagen. Durch den Zubau stieg die Höhe der maximal erreichbaren Strommenge (installierte Leistung) im Gebiet des bundesweit größten Stromerzeugers um mehr als 20 Prozent auf rund 12.000 Megawatt. Die Menge der tatsächlich ins öffentliche Netz eingespeisten "grünen" Energie stieg um 7 Prozent auf 18 Milliarden Kilowattstunden. Ursache für den relativ geringen Zuwachs sei das windarme Jahr 2010. Die 18 Milliarden Kilowattstunden reichen nach RWE-Angaben zur Versorgung von fünf Millionen Haushalten.

Quelle: dpa

The Human Cost of Energy: Fossil fuels exact the biggest toll in terms of lives lost

Deadly accidents involving nuclear reactors, oil rigs and coal mines in recent months remind us that all forms of energy generation carry risks. In developed countries, coal is the most hazardous (bottom left), according to the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland, which studied more than 1,800 accidents worldwide over nearly 30 years. For coal, mining tends to be the most dangerous step; for oil and gas, most accidents occur during distribution; and for nuclear, generating plants are on the hot seat (orange bars).

Developing nations tend to have higher fatality rates, experts say (although reporting is less comprehensive, so no numbers are shown). “Regulations may be less strict,” explains Peter Burgherr, head of technology assessment at the energy systems analysis laboratory at the institute. “Working conditions are also poorer,” and less mechanization means more people are doing manual labor in harm’s way.

The lion’s share of human costs, however, comes not from accidents but from pollution, which makes fossilfuels the most dangerous form of energy generation (below). As Burgherr notes, “People are often not aware of what is happening to them in daily life.”

— Mark Fischetti

(click on image (or click here) to see a  larger version of the infographic)

Quelle: Scientific American