EWEA - More wind energy and cheaper electricity possible

Moreover, deploying TWENTIES technologies could reduce power prices in the German system by 2.2%, marginal electricity prices by up to 0.4% and cut carbon emissions by 3.5% by putting wind turbines together with other power generation in a ‘virtual power plant’.

TWENTIES also showed that using ‘high wind ride through’ control meant turbines continued producing electricity at wind speeds of up to 32 metres per second rather than 25 – a 28% increase in output. It cut reserve requirements in half and reduced power system instability.

Other breakthroughs of the project – whose final publication will be launched tomorrow at a meeting in Brussels – included the successful testing of a DC circuit breaker prototype.

“Not only did this project take major technical steps forward, it also brought the wind industry and transmission system operators together in a successful collaboration, showing how wind energy can provide essential services to the grid”, commented Vicente González López, TWENTIES technical manager, from Red Electrica de España.

“The results show modern technology and smart management can use renewables to improve grid operation and system security, and underline the value of investment in wind energy,” said Jacopo Moccia from the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA), which was a project partner.

The TWENTIES project (‘Transmission system operation with a large penetration of wind and other renewable electricity sources in electricity networks using innovative tools and integrated energy solutions’) was coordinated by Red Electrica de España and financed by the European Commission’s seventh Framework Programme.