This report summarises the process of implementation of the virtual machine mode (VMM) at the Hornsdale battery to provide synthetic inertia. It details the testing, modelling and pilot trials that were undertaken to demonstrate the VMM capabilities and subsequent validation process.
Report extract
Following the September 2016 state-wide blackout which left South Australia without power, Neoen and Tesla were selected by the South Australian Government to supply Australia’s first grid scale battery named the Hornsdale Power Reserve (HPR).
Carrying on the success of HPR, Neoen, in collaboration with Tesla, this project received funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) as part of ARENA’s Advancing Renewables Program, and the South Australian Government’s Department of Energy and Mining (DEM) to expand the existing 100MW/129MWh HPR by a further 50MW/64.5MWh. The South Australian Government provided support to the project by committing $15 Million AUD over 5 years through its Grid Scale Storage Fund and ARENA committed $8 Million AUD in grant funding through its Advancing Renewables Program.
This Australian-first battery expansion project committed to trial a new virtual inertia operating mode which mimics the behaviour of a synchronous generator when responding to rapid changes to frequency, stabilising the grid when electricity supply and demand unexpectedly fluctuate.
This report details the journey that led to the implementation of Virtual Machine Mode (VMM) at HPR and focuses on the testing, modelling and pilot trials undertaken to demonstrate the functionality of the VMM and the subsequent validation of the model for full-scale implementation.