Project Summary
Enabling a low-cost net-zero GB electricity network that is robust and secure, by demonstrating how novel technology can enable offshore wind farms to restore the onshore grid following a black out. Building on this, optimal market requirements and standard technical specifications will be developed to enable rapid commercial roll-out of this novel technology.
The overarching aim of the Black Start Demonstration from Offshore Wind (SIF BLADE) project is to bring electricity system restoration from offshore wind to commercial reality by building the necessary cross-industry understanding including onshore transmission network owners, transmission system operators, offshore wind farm operators, and technology suppliers.
Innovation Justification
Innovation justification
The project meets "Innovation Challenge 2: preparing for a net zero power system", and the specific scope requirement "accessing grid/system support from novel supply and demand side sources". Beta will be ambitious and impactful and focus on a key challenge in the energy transition: how to deploy renewable technologies such that they support the system, rather than weaken it. Alpha found (see question 3) that, without OWs contributing to restoration, there is a real risk that the energy transition will be stalled. Restoration is therefore an essential element of preparing for a net zero power system. Beta meets the partnership requirements through the Carbon Trust's Offshore Wind Accelerator (OWA) programme, whereby 10 OWF developers (generators), representing the majority of the global offshore wind industry, will participate in the project. The project is also linked to Innovation Challenge 3 but is applying under Innovation Challenge 2.
The state of the art is to rely on large synchronous generators to provide restoration services. These are large, reliable generation sources; however, the number of such assets in the system is reducing. The Distributed Restart and Dersalloch innovation projects have shown the potential for small scale onshore renewables to contribute to system restoration. However, this is not yet done in practice, and will have limited benefits compared to large-scale OWFs.
From Alpha, we have learned that restoration from OWFs is technically feasible; however, there is a range of possible contributions from OWFs to system restoration, with varying maturity and risk levels. We have also learned that the currently proposed market - to incentivise OWF developers to install restoration capability - is not sufficiently clear technically or commercially to enable OWF developers to participate.
To address these issues, Beta will conduct network innovation in two key areas: technical feasibility (including developing standard specifications for OWFs and networks) and commercial feasibility (including understanding the costs and proposing evolved market requirements). The project requires an integrated approach to network innovation, whereby TOs, OWF developers and OEMs must innovate collaboratively to produce the integrated restoration methodology. Working with such low-maturity solutions with a large consortium of OWF developers, OEMs and research partners cannot be funded elsewhere in the price control, with SIF being the ideal mechanism.
Alpha has identified a number of solution options:
- "Grid forming" (GFM) batteries (BESS) onshore in combination with BAU "grid following" (GFL) turbines. These individual technologies are all available on the market today, and the innovation in Beta will be to integrate them such they contribute to system restoration. Current status: TRL 5-9; IRL 2; CRL 3. End of Beta: TRL 7-9; IRL 7; CRL 7.
- Self-starting GM turbines. This technology is not available on the market today but is under development by OEMs. Beta will accelerate these enabling technologies to market. Current status: TRL 2-4; IRL 2; CRL 3. End of Beta: TRL 4-6; IRL 6; CRL 7.
Other options for Beta were considered, most notably conducting a large-scale physical demonstration. This has not been selected as solutions are not ready. It is better to focus on building detailed understanding of feasibility in Beta, such that physical implementation can occur in BAU following Beta. Beta encompasses the necessary steps to reach this point.
In Alpha, the project worked in the open through its large, international consortium, which represents the majority of the industry. This consortium is key to ensure challenge of the work. It is also key to dissemination and rapid, industry-wide uptake of the results. In Beta, we are continuing with the large consortium, and adding more OEMs in Advisory Panel.
Impacts and Benefits
Financial - future reductions in the cost of operating the network and cost savings per annum on energy bills for consumers:
- Baseline: high-carbon assets dominate restoration market but will need to be retired to meet net-zero goals. Alpha has shown this will be an issue for system restoration, which must be filled either by OWFs or additional low-carbon thermal generation. Corroborating this Alpha finding, in the FES, ESO expects that OWFs may need to provide ~24% of restoration services by 2050 (source: Distributed Restart Closedown Event, 2023: https://www.nationalgrideso.com/document/272746/download).
- Benefit: Alpha has shown that the expected ("medium confidence" in the CBA template attached) benefit of having OWFs contributing to restoration (instead of additional low-carbon thermal generation) is £0.9-1.6bn until 2050. The variation between £0.9bn and £1.6bn arises due to the variation in possible restoration capabilities of future OWFs ("option 1" and "option 2" in the CBA template attached). Even the "medium confidence" figures have been calculated based on conservative cost estimates. Given Beta's funding request of £4.8m, this gives the project a 12-year payback period. See Alpha Deliverable 2.1 and attached CBA for more details.
- Metrics: quantify (£) costs and benefits of OWFs providing restoration services.
Environmental - carbon reduction - direct CO2 savings per annum:
- Baseline: high-carbon assets dominate restoration market.
- Benefit: SIF BLADE will accelerate and enable OWs to provide restoration services, thus offering a proven alternative source of restoration that is low carbon. Quantitative analysis has not been conducted in Alpha but will in Beta.
- Metrics: quantify (weight of CO2) benefits of OWFs providing restoration services.
Revenues - improved access to revenues for users of network services and creation of new revenue streams:
- Baseline: Currently zero windfarms (onshore or offshore) provide restoration services, and hence zero windfarms gain revenues from restoration service contracts with ESO. ESO has launched an electricity system restoration tender for wind. However, from consultations in Alpha, many OWF developers do not feel able to participate due to lack of clarity around technical requirements and potential revenues. It is unclear how successful that tender will be due to market and technology immaturity.
- Benefit: Beta will create industry-wide understanding on the technical requirements for windfarms to provide restoration, the technology specifications that will enable OWFs to meet those requirements, the cost of those technology specifications, and the potential revenue achievable by providing restoration services. This in turn will give clarity to all parties. It will allow ESO to evolve its market and allow OWF developers to gain revenues from ESO for restoration services.
- Metrics: increased number of participants in future ESO restoration wind tenders; (world) first restoration contract awarded to one or more OWFs; international SOs following the UK to create restoration wind tender.
New to market - products
- Baseline: Currently commercially implemented wind turbines do not self-start (they are started by energy from the grid). Also, they are not able to support or grow an energy island (they rely on exporting energy to a strong, already existing grid).
- Benefit: Beta will accelerate self-starting GFM wind turbines to market.
- Metrics: first self-starting and grid forming turbines installed offshore.
New to market - services:
- Baseline: OWFs do not provide restoration services.
- Benefit: Beta will accelerate the uptake of restoration capability in OWFs, and push this to become BAU.
- Metrics: first OWF with restoration capability, followed by BAU roll-out nationally and internationally.
