RT23 |Pre-commissioning renewable aggregated generator control systems using real-time simulation

The energy transition to renewables has provoked a marked increase in interest in the power system planning and commissioning process of large-scale renewable generation projects, such as solar, BESS and wind. With modem power systems increasing their reliance on large-scale renewable infrastructure projects, it is imperative to develop procedures in the commissioning process to provide certainty in the performance of real-time control systems and ensure power system security and reliability can be maintained. A significant risk factor during plant commissioning (compliance testing of new generators) and commercial operation is potential mismatches between modelled and real-world behaviour that can expose power systems to security risks not foreseen in the power system planning process. For generation asset owners, this has resulted in significant lost generation revenue, non-compliance penalties and expensive rectification works. Mismatches of plant-level control systems can be a cause of power system security risks due to modelling issues, misconfiguration or real-world effects. Real-time simulation provides a platform to thoroughly test control systems, allowing tests that cannot be replicated during commercial operation in the power system. EPEC, in collaboration with Australian government, academia and industry, have developed a platform and process to validate control systems and pre-commission hardware in order to de-risk the commissioning and ongoing operation of large-scale renewable generators. Our findings and implementation methodology are discussed in this presentation.