ABB is supplying a containerized microgrid solution to support a gas-fired power station in optimizing and automating its operations, increasing energy efficiency, reducing fossil-fuel consumption and enabling uninterrupted power supply from Alinta Energy’s Newman Power Station, which supplies mining operations in the Pilbara in Australia.
ABB has supplied a containerized microgrid to support a gas-fired power station in Australia’s Pilbara to optimize and automate its operations, increase energy efficiency and reduce fossil-fuel consumption.
ABB’s microgrid includes a 30-MW battery energy-storage system, which is one of the largest of its kind to be deployed in a gas-fired power plant. A 30-MW battery energy-storage system can supply 6,000 homes; the average supply would be 5 kw.
Mining is a key focus sector in Australia and accounts for approximately six percent of the country’s GDP. Situated approximately 1,200 km north of Perth in Western Australia, the Newman Power Station supplies power to remotely located mining operations.
The microgrid will provide power supply to cover the time it takes to start up a new gas turbine, when there is a fault in the running turbine that causes power to trip. This back-up will enable uninterrupted supply of reliable power and prevent any disruption.
ABB’s modular and containerized microgrid will integrate five ABB Ability PowerStore Battery energy-storage systems with the power station’s existing gas turbines, providing what the company calls a spinning reserve. ABB has supplied a range of transformers and switchgear to integrate the system.
The solution also incorporates ABB’s Microgrid Plus automation and control technology, which serves as the brain of the entire system to monitor the gas turbines and facilitate utility-grade power quality and grid stability. It is also equipped for remote service and maintenance.
“The plug-and-play microgrid solution has been designed to meet complex automation requirements and will ensure grid stability and fuel-savings for Alinta’s operation,” said Massimo Danieli, head of ABB’s Grid Automation business unit. “Microgrids and energy storage are key focus areas in our Next Level strategy, supporting our quest to provide grid stability, fuel savings, and bring reliable power to people while reducing environmental impact, as exemplified by this project.”
ABB received the order for this project from Kokam, a storage-solution provider that also supplied batteries for Solar Impulse 2. Solar Impulse 2 completed a 40,000-km flight around the world exclusively on solar power in 2015 and 2016.
Filed Under: Energy storage
