Newly installed synchronous condensers will soon mean that the grid will be able to absorb a whole lot more renewable energy, which was previously capped (the article notes an increase from a current hard cap of 1,700MW [at times as low as ~1,300MW] to 2,500MW in the near future).
This will see a further acceleration towards renewable energy in South Australia and a reduced role for gas generation.
Particularly pleasing is the following information:
"The important thing to note here is that under the new guidelines wind and solar will be able to reach these levels with only two other gas generators in operation. Previously, it has required around six or more gas generators to operate to even allow wind and solar to reach the 1700MW cap."
The following provides an inkling of the exciting additional developments in the near future relating to both the role that batteries will play, as well as the future potential for the hydrogen economy:
"By that time it may be that AEMO and grid owners have become comfortable with battery storage technologies operating in “virtual machine mode”, which allows them to do what syncons do, at a fraction of the cost.
The new heyday for syncons may not last long. And the next step, towards the government’s new target of multiple levels of renewable generation – to satisfy the growing markets for renewable hydrogen and ammonia – will be bringing down the cost of electrolysers."
I can certainly sense an acceleration in the shift from merely burning fossil fuel towards the application of smarter technologies of energy production and storage.
