by stan » Thu Dec 15, 2016 1:39 pm
At the end of the day, having Northern running to bounce the States load a bit would go along way in securing our power system. SA needs that additional generation source, but as always we are always in out own way...
Plan to reopen Port Augusta’s Northern power station abandoned because of red tape
A PLAN to reopen Port Augusta’s Northern power station in a bid to help safeguard the state against blackouts has been abandoned because of red tape. ElectraNet and the owners of Northern and considered switching the power station back on, but not to produce energy and instead used as a converter to stabilise the grid which has become more volatile due to wind generation.
But the plan was axed when both companies realised a full assessment of the option, which was required under regulations, could not be carried out before the scheduled demolition of the plant.
The revelation comes as the Australian Energy Market Commission released an interim report
into a review of power system security in the national electricity market.
It found that new measures were needed to provide extra stability for the system most likely through machines which could include old coal-fired plants.
This was because historically the national grid had “plentiful” stability provided by conventional
generators such as coal and gas-fired power stations and hydro plant.
The review found newer types of electricity generators including wind and rooftop solar were not as stable and fed into the grid at a different frequency which created further stability issues.
“There are challenges ahead in managing system security. And system security is essential in order to allow reliable electricity supplies to be provided to customers,” AEMC chairman John Pierce said.
On Wednesday, the State and Federal governments again locked horns on energy policy at a meeting of the Council of Australian Governments Energy Council meeting in Melbourne on Wednesday.
Federal Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg likened taking advice for the SA Government on energy policy to “being taught how to speak by Marcel Marceau”.
“It just doesn’t work,” he said on Wednesday.
It follows the SA Government pushing an Emissions Intensity Scheme which creates a baseline for carbon emissions which would result in gas and renewable generators earing credits which coal generators would need to purchase.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull ruled out such a scheme last week despite a number of independent reports presented to the Government supporting its introduction.
On releasing a report into energy market security this week, Australian Energy Market Operator chair Dr Tony Marxson said “markets could even pay owners of old coal plants to keep their generators spinning and connected” to create more stability in the National Energy Market.
AEMO said that the conversion process was “currently quite rare” but was aware of 12 projects undertaken in the US.
The managing director of the company which owns Northern, Flinders Power told The Advertiser that it had jointly funded a study into keeping the power station open to provide stability with ElectraNet — the company in charge of the state’s transmission system.
“This option was not considered viable in the short period (because) a decision was required to be made to fund the project before the Northern power station demolition commenced,” Michael Riches said.
Mr Riches said the power station would be demolished within one to two months but said it would take a minimum of a year to do a full study and assessment of the proposal which was required under Government regulation.
He said, therefore, the idea was considered unviable because of timing.
State Energy Minister Tom Koutsantonis said running Northern to simply stabilise the grid was “a grossly expensive and highly inefficient option”.
“The Government is working on more cost efficient and effective ways of better integrating renewables into our grid,” he said.
Read my reply. It is directed at you because you have double standards
