Ground breaks on first power grid stability scheme for Wales
First Minister Eluned Morgan and Tore Hattrem break ground on Swansea Greener Grid Park, alongside Statkraft’s Richard Mardon. Image courtesy Statkraft
Construction work is underway on the Swansea Greener Grid Park, the first electricity grid stability scheme in Wales.
The Greener Grid Park scheme will use six large rotating stabilisers to replicate the spinning turbines of a traditional power station. The technology will help keep the lights on in Welsh homes during faults or disturbances on the grid – without requiring traditional fossil-fired power plants to be switched on to maintain a stable frequency of electricity from the grid.
Norwegian hydropower company Statkraft is constructing the scheme, which they say equates to approximately £70 million ($88.9 million) of investment in the Welsh energy transition.
Statkraft was initially awarded a contract to provide stability services by NESO (the National Energy System Operator) under phase three of its Stability Pathfinder Programme, in 2022. The planning application, which received unanimous support from Swansea Council, was revised by Statkraft to include two further synchronous compensators allowing the site to deliver stability more effectively to the grid.
Swansea will be the third scheme to deliver stability through the use of rotating stabilisers, after Keith in Moray, Scotland and Lister Drive in Liverpool, England, both of which are already operational and are saving 216,000 tonnes of CO2e per year, says Statkraft in a release.
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A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the project, attended by the First Minister of Wales, the Rt. Hon. Eluned Morgan MS, alongside the Ambassador of Norway to the United Kingdom, HE Tore Hattrem in attendance.
During her visit to the site in Morriston, on the outskirts of Swansea, the First Minister met members of the Statkraft project team and other colleagues based in Wales.
Said Morgan MS: “Wales’ electricity needs could treble by 2050, so it’s important that infrastructure like Statkraft’s Greener Grid Park in Swansea is in place to support the grid and ensure it can cope with the increasing demand in the most efficient and environmentally friendly way.
“Schemes like this are important in ensuring we’re ready to continue the transition to more renewable energy, delivering on one of my priorities for green growth. I was also pleased today to announce the creation of an Offshore Energy Task and Finish Group, which will bring the expertise we need together and help us achieve our renewable energy targets.”
Commented Energy Minister Michael Shanks MP: “This is a huge milestone as work begins on the clean power grid stability scheme in Wales – a prime example of how Great Britain continues to back clean energy technology to unlock investment and power our homes and businesses and make our country a clean energy superpower.
“Together with the Welsh Government, we want to see more projects like this in Wales and across the UK – creating skilled local jobs and propelling us towards our net zero goals.”
According to Statkraft, the scheme is one part of the company’s broader strategy to enhance the UK’s energy infrastructure, with an investment pipeline exceeding £4 billion ($5.1 billion), and almost 20 projects with planning consent, and further projects in development across wind, solar, hydro, and green hydrogen.
Said Richard Mardon, Statkraft’s head of UK Development: “Swansea Greener Grid Park is a stand-out example of how Wales can serve as a beacon of green energy innovation, delivering home-grown solutions that benefit Welsh communities whilst bolstering the nation’s wider energy security.
“Innovative schemes like this will increase the deployment of renewable energy to the grid, bringing down bills for consumers and businesses, and reducing carbon emissions for us all.”
