South Australia remains at the forefront of the global energy transformation. This is bringing with it a range of challenges as renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, storage and consumer energy resources in homes and businesses continue to displace traditional generation and drive two-way power flows on the transmission network.
One such challenge faced by ElectraNet is ensuring sufficient static and dynamic voltage control capability within South Australia. Schedules 5.1a.4, 5.1.4 and 5.1.8 of the National Electricity Rules (NER) set out various voltage control requirements that ElectraNet is required to comply with. ElectraNet’s modelling indicates that, beyond 2024-25, the allowable limits in the NER will be exceeded for credible contingencies.
Specifically, there is a reactive power shortfall of 125 MVAr in the metropolitan region and 50 MVAr in the South East region.
On 1 December 2023 AEMO declared a Network Support and Control Ancillary Service (NSCAS) shortfall in South Australia for voltage control.
ElectraNet is applying the Regulatory Investment Test for Transmission (RIT-T) to options for ensuring sufficient voltage control in the South Australian region of the National Electricity Market (NEM) including closing AEMO’s declared shortfall of NSCAS in South Australia. The identified need for this RIT-T is reliability corrective action since investment is required to meet a regulatory obligation.
This Project Assessment Draft Report (PADR) represents the second stage of the formal RIT-T process and follows publication of the Project Specification Consultation Report (PSCR) in December 2022.
ElectraNet welcomes written submissions on this Project Assessment Draft Report (PADR), which are due on or before 15 February 2024. Submissions are particularly sought on the credible options presented and the assessment of these credible options.
Submissions should be emailed to consultation@electranet.com.au with the subject ‘Voltage Control RIT-T PADR submission’. Submissions will be published on the ElectraNet website. If you do not wish your submission to be made public, please clearly specify this at the time of lodging it.