Australia is preparing for its next step away from fossil fuels by creating a market to replace the spinning coal plant turbines that help stabilize the power grid.
(Bloomberg) — Australia is preparing for its next step away from fossil fuels by creating a market to replace the spinning coal plant turbines that help stabilize the power grid.
The government’s adviser on energy policy, the Australian Energy Market Commission, is consulting on a rule change for a spot market in inertia provision, it said in a statement on Thursday. Australia’s world-leading usage of wind, solar and batteries has led to “new and previously unobserved operational conditions,” it said.
Conventional power plants use turbines that keep revolving even when the fuel that’s forcing them to move stops burning. It’s a process known as inertia, which helps network operators maintain stability, smooth over disturbances in the grid and prevent blackouts. However, solar panels and wind turbines generally stop and start almost instantaneously — hence the AEMC’s call for other sources of inertia.
“Declining inertia may pose a future threat to power system security,” the AEMC said. “The current framework for managing inertia in the National Electricity Market is inefficient and not fit for purpose in meeting the long-term power system need.”
Technological fixes might include synchronous condensers, machines that can emulate the spinning of traditional power turbines without the greenhouse gas element, according to BloombergNEF. The government is also helping to fund battery projects that include inverters to help stabilize the grid.
–With assistance from Emily Cadman.
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