Dong Energy’s 90MW Burbo Bank offshore wind farm in Liverpool Bay has completed tests demonstrating its ability to provide frequency response to support the national grid network.
The test was coordinated from Dong’s control centre, working in cooperation with system operator National Grid’s electricity control centre at Wokingham in Berkshire.
Dong said National Grid has a licence obligation to maintain a stable frequency on the electricity system to within plus or minus 1% of 50 hertz.
To be able to call on or reduce electricity generated by distributed supply sources, such as wind farms, they must be able to manage input that might result in frequency variations, it added.
Dong Energy revenue and grid compliance manager Vandad Hamidi said: “Offshore wind is one of the most flexible forms of power generation and can provide this type of service to National Grid because the output of our turbines can be rapidly and reliably adjusted to stabilise system frequency.
“Our tests were carried out to demonstrate that offshore wind farms can provide this service reliably and flexibly.”
National Grid head of network capability (electricity) Richard Smith said: “For us, these sorts of tests by suppliers are important in helping us understand the capability of the whole electricity system, and how we ensure a safe and stable supply of energy into future.”
Image: Burbo Bank (Dong Energy)
