Neoen is one of the world’s leading producers of exclusively renewable energy
Nominated project: Hornsdale Power Reserve Virtual Machine Mode (VMM)
Premier's Awards category: Innovation and collaboration (Energy sector)
Neoen has successfully implemented Tesla’s Virtual Machine Mode at Hornsdale Power Reserve (HPR). This has demonstrated for the first time anywhere in the world that grid scale batteries can deliver inertia services comparable to traditional synchronous machines.
Located in a critical part of the network, HPR can now automatically contribute an estimated 2,000 MWs of equivalent inertia, or around 15% of the predicted shortfall in the state’s network ensuring ongoing stability of supply for South Australia’s households and businesses. This also safeguards the state’s position as a leader in the renewable energy transition – providing a clear pathway towards 100% renewables not only for South Australia, but for Australia.
This major innovation was possible as a result of the strong collaboration between Neoen, Tesla, the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) and ElectraNet and the direct support received from the South Australian government, and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).
Q&A with Neoen
The project aims to demonstrate that grid-scale battery storage projects can provide inertia services in Australia, thereby replacing the inertia traditionally provided by synchronous generation. This will help stabilise the grid, reduce curtailment of renewable generation, and provide a pathway to higher penetration of renewable energy in the National Energy Market (NEM).
The deployment of Virtual Machine Mode (VMM) at Hornsdale Power Reserve (HPR) demonstrated for the first time anywhere in the world that a big battery could deliver inertia at a scale comparable to traditional synchronous machines such as gas turbines.
The successful deployment of VMM at HPR provides a blue-print for how future projects can implement inertia services on a grid-scale battery and navigate the registration process. The knowledge sharing framework is embedded into the project culture and will continue to benefit the sector as more data is gathered, analysed, and shared.
The progressive and innovative political environment that allows projects such as this to flourish.
The future is looking promising for renewable energy as we see governments commit to ambitious zero emissions targets and we move towards a grid with an increasingly high penetration of renewable energy.
We are aiming to reach 5 GW of capacity by 2025 in Australia, with a grid-scale battery in every state.
They are an opportunity to share ideas, celebrate innovation and award the excellence that is needed for the energy transition.
From the outset of this project, the intent was always to share the learnings, and allow others to benefit from this knowledge.
- The progressive and innovative political environment across multiple governments
- The opportunity in the region to develop and expand the Hornsdale projects
- Strong relationships with key stakeholders and partners in the region that have supported our growth
Supportive government and ability to connect easily with different parts of the industry, due to size.
Technology is changing rapidly in renewables and storage and this needs to be embraced. Challenges that are being faced in this industry are sometimes challenges that have not been experienced before, so innovation, teamwork and problem solving are key attributes for people coming into the industry.
