The electronic wizardry they have done with inverters & batteries is second to none.
The main profit centre for Lithium batteries from what I understand, noting this is very much a specialist field, has been in grid ancilliary services.
https://aemo.com.au/en/energy-systems/electricity/national-electricity-market-nem/system-operations/ancillary-servicesLike stabilizing the frequency of the grid.
Many years ago I'd attempt to argue that renewables would eventually get there WRT to being able to replace spinning reserve - ie mechanical inertia - which allows rapid restabilization of the grid in the event of a large generation unit dropping off line. Arguing with a Climate Denying electrical engineer whose view on generation was that they've had enough time, it's all a boondoggle, waste of taxpayer funds, subsidies blah blah - was a waste of time.
And as you can see below, Tesla & Neoen received permission to trial virtual inertia on grid using the batteries at Hornsdale.
These are known as theFrequency Control Ancillary Services(FCAS) markets, or what we call frequency control. When power plants or network lines unexpectedly fail, FCAS brings the grid back into the safe frequency range by balancing demand and supply, which helps to prevent widespread blackouts and outages.
World-first grid-scale inertia services for South Australia’s big battery
28th July, 2022 | Australia, Batteries, Company Updates, Projects, Renewables
Global renewable energy company Neoen has secured approval from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) to deliver innovative inertia services to the National Electricity Market (NEM) at its Hornsdale Power Reserve big battery in South Australia, writes Greg King-Evans.The 150MW/193.5MWh facility is the first big battery in the world to deliver grid-scale inertia services and will deliver it through Tesla’s Virtual Machine Mode technology.The development comes after two years of intensive trials and collaboration between Neoen, Tesla, AEMO, electricity transmission specialist ElectraNet, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, and the South Australian Government.
https://www.pv-magazine-australia.com/2021/08/11/why-agls-new-grid-forming-battery-is-genuinely-cutting-edge/
Why AGL’s new grid-forming battery is ‘genuinely cutting edge’Where does that leave Vanadium batteries - a bad analogy until I can come up with a better one, they are the fuel storage tank, Lithium batteries & Grid forming inverters are the fuel injection & computer system to keep the car going without stalling with a small reserve tank.
