First synchronous condenser arrives at Davenport substation
ElectraNet’s Davenport substation, near Port Augusta, has received its first of two synchronous condensers for installation.
Image for illustration purposes
Australia, South Australia: ElectraNet’s Davenport substation, near Port Augusta, has received its first of two synchronous condensers for installation.
The first synchronous condenser, along with a second that is due for arrival by the end of May, will be installed at the Davenport substation site and energised by the end of 2020.
Additional two synchronous condensers, to be installed at Robertstown, will arrive in Adelaide towards the end of 2020. They will become operational by the middle of 2021.
The synchronous condenser project is estimated to cost about $190 M. In August 2019, the Australian Energy Regulator approved funding for the capital cost of the synchronous condensers.
The two synchronous condensers to be installed at Davenport have been designed and manufactured by GE. The two synchronous condensers that will be installed at Robertstown will be designed and manufactured by Siemens.
ElectraNet Chief Executive, Steve Masters, said the arrival and transportation of the synchronous condenser was an important next step in improving the strength and reliability of South Australia’s electricity network.
“As more renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, are connected to the electricity network, we do not have the same level of system strength that was generated by conventional synchronous generators, which are now being used less often,” Masters said. “This has created a shortfall in system strength and inertia in our power network, increasing the risk of system instability and supply interruptions,“ Masters added.
The four synchronous condensers, two of them installed at Davenport and two at Robertstown, will ensure a secure power supply to South Australian power customers.
South Australian Minister for Energy and Mining, Dan van Holst Pellekaan, said, “The installation of the synchronous condensers will help deliver cheaper, more reliable electricity to South Australian households and businesses.”
Source: Utility Magazine