The Carbon Trust’s Offshore Wind Accelerator (OWA) has launched a competition that aims to develop and enhance capabilities for offshore wind turbines to play a role in restarting power grids following a black out.
OWA said: “With the increasing move towards renewable generation, there is a need to explore how offshore wind turbines can be used to supply all the auxiliary power to restart wind farms, and then to restart parts of the electricity grid that have completely lost power.”
The competition is designed to show the market that so-called black start capabilities are now required for offshore wind turbines, it added.
The Carbon Trust electrical systems research area project manager Rory Shanahan said: “Offshore wind farms can play an important role in restarting the electricity grid, helping to replace the diesel generators that are currently required to deliver black start services.
“With this call, we hope that we find yet another innovative way to help accelerate the development of the offshore wind industry and reduce carbon emissions, while future proofing a grid increasingly made up of renewable sources.”
The deadline for expressions of interest is 1.30pm local time on March 2018.
Image: reNEWS
Trust seeks offshore restarters
By EBS