National Grid, the operator of the UK electricity system and the equivalent to the Australian Energy Market Operator, says it is preparing to change its systems so it can operate the electricity grid with 100 per cent renewable energy by 2025. Australia is often thought as a leader in the transition to renewables, but the progress in other countries is usually overlooked. In the UK, the Tory government’s official policy is to phase out coal completely by 2025 and the grid operator says it needs to develop a system in which it doesn’t need coal or gas back-up. The document identifies the areas where traditional generation has delivered services such as inertia, frequency control and voltage, which will now have to come from wind and solar, plus various storage technologies and other “demand side” options. This will require a re-design of the markets to better represent the new technologies and the passing of the old ones. It has now set a work plan that sets various deadlines in coming years, and tenders for providers of new technologies.
Renew Economy 8th April 2019 read more »
