Green energy could restart power network after blackout
Britain’s power network could be safely restarted using only renewables in the unlikely event of a catastrophic blackout in the future, according to a trial of new technology by Scottish Power.
Like most countries, Britain’s National Grid has traditionally relied on coal and gas-fired power plants to provide “black start” capability — the process of recovering from the full or partial shutdown of the electricity transmission network. Supply and demand on the power network has to be balanced to keep the grid running safely and, during a black start, power plants and consumers have to be brought back onto the grid gradually in tandem.
This becomes trickier as big old fossil fuel plants close and are replaced with myriad greener but smaller and more intermittent power sources such as wind and solar, because their output is less predictable.
Scottish Power, which operates part of the transmission grid in Scotland, has completed a £4.4 million Ofgem-funded trial in Dumfries and Galloway in conjunction with Drax and GE to show that black start can be achieved using hydro-electric and wind power. The companies installed technology to improve monitoring and control of wind turbine output and now want to see this introduced elsewhere in the country.
Scott Mathieson, network planning and regulation director at Scottish Power’s energy networks division, said: “This successful electricity system restoration marks a significant milestone not just for SP Energy Networks, but for the UK’s entire electricity network. It is a massive leap forward in innovation and the use of novel wide area monitoring, protection and control technology.
“Providing grid stability and services from renewables is one of the greatest challenges facing network operators today. Our trial shows it can be done.”
Britain has never needed to black start its power network but incidents in North America and Italy in 2003 left tens of millions without power.
