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A state-funded project in Germany, run by TSO Transnet BW, has resulted in the development of a technology for grid stability at times of high use and fluctuating renewables by combining battery energy storage and a hydrogen-capable gas turbine.
German TSO Transnet BW, alongside experts from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Ulm University of Technology (THU), the Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) developed the hybrid grid booster under the HydrogREenBoost project.
The now completed research project demonstrates that the tech is technically and economically viable, says the TSO in a release.
According to Transnet BW, it can make an important contribution to grid stability, balancing out periods of high utilisation and fluctuating renewable energy sources.
The components for the study were successfully tested under realistic conditions in a specially designed grid laboratory at THU. The integration of the components into a central control system was also designed and evaluated.
Under a test, the battery storage system was ramped up from standby to rated power within 2.4 seconds and replaced by the hydrogen turbine after 25.4 minutes. The test demonstrated a constant power range – flexible, efficient, and low-emission.
Grid boosters act as a type of safety buffer for the power grid, avoiding expensive redispatch measures such as curtailing renewable energy or ramping up conventional power plants, allowing the grid to be utilised more efficiently.
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Focus on profitability
The project team examined several implementation scenarios.
A 500MW plant with a battery storage capacity of 176.5MWh and a turbine connected to the gas grid appears particularly promising, says Transnet BW.
Depending on the grid’s development status, the savings in redispatch costs and marketing on the balancing reserve market could result in payback periods of three to seven years. Variants with additional hydrogen storage increase the resilience of the entire system but result in higher costs.
Said Michael Jesberger, technical director of TransnetBW: “The project provides important insights for the efficient and cost-effective use of new technologies in the transmission grid.
“Hybrid grid boosters could play an important role in the implementation of the energy transition in the future.”
Future studies, says the TSO, should focus on alternative implementation strategies, revenue opportunities, and integration into existing grid topologies.
Transnet BW also calls for further research and pilot projects, which they say are necessary to enable large-scale deployment.
