Vattenfall, Sympower and Statnett and ferro-alloy company Eramet Norway are collaborating to deliver fast frequency reserve (FFR) between May and October 2021.
The partners said this means that they can contribute to a stable power grid, not only in Norway, but throughout the entire Nordic electricity grid if a power failure occurs.
Statnett, the transmission system operator in Norway, has bought 119MW to be used for frequency control.
Vattenfall as the single largest operator is responsible for 58MW, together with technology supplier Sympower.
The deal is worth approximately Nkr11.50m (€1.15m) and gives an FFR readiness of about 400 hours.
Vattenfall said that energy sources such as wind and solar power put new demands on the electricity system.
“As more weather-dependent energy increases, larger reserves are required. Nordic system operators have therefore agreed to trade in synthetic inertia or fast frequency reserve to ensure electricity network stability,” the company said.
“This solution means that substantial electricity consumers such as Eramet Norway can quickly reduce their electricity consumption and help to achieve stability in the power grid when there is an imbalance,” it added.
Vattenfall manager of flexibility products Viktor Gardo (pictured) said: “FFR is a necessary component if we want a future power system consisting of more renewable electricity.
“Norway has recently expanded its cable capacity to Germany and can thus export more fossil-free electricity from hydro power to the continent and import electricity when demands are high in the Nordic region.
“If a fault occurs in the cable, it can lead to a sudden shortage, for which FFR is a quick and effective solution.”
Eramet Norway senior specialist Baard Aasrum said: “Eramet Norway’s smelting furnaces in Kvinesdal, Porsgrunn and Sauda have an annual consumption of around 2.0TWh and can make up to 58MW of electricity available to the power grid in just 0.5 seconds.
“It felt natural to be a part of FFR and support the electricity grid if necessary.
“This is a new, forward-looking technology that is at the same time challenging for a basic industry like ours.”
Vattenfall said the power system depends on a balance between production and consumption. When the system is in balance, the frequency is 50.00 Hertz.
If there are major disturbances in the frequency, it can cause faults in electronic equipment and power failure, it added.