Australian utility Transgrid has used SmartValve technology from US-based grid enhancing technology company Smart Wires to improve the efficiency and capacity of the Victoria-NSW Interconnector (VNI).
Courtesy Transgrid
The AU$45 million ($28.4 million) Victoria-NSW Interconnector upgrade will unlock 170MW of additional energy, enough to power more than 30,000 homes.
SmartValve tech
The SmartValve technology detects congestion on the transmission network and redirects power off overloaded lines onto transmission lines with spare capacity, enabling substations to be upgraded using existing infrastructure.
Nine SmartValve units were installed at Transgrid’s Stockdill substation in the ACT to unlock 120MW of additional energy, while six units at Yass substation will provide another 50MW.
Transgrid CEO Brett Redman said about the project: “Transgrid is building the energy superhighways that will benefit millions of Australians and this project is a key example of how we are enabling more efficient sharing of renewable energy between the states…The speed at which the energy transition is accelerating means we must embrace new technology and innovate and SmartValve is a perfect example of how Transgrid is doing just that.
“This clever technology benefits both customers and the environment and will allow renewable energy from Victoria to flow into NSW and the ACT when demand is greatest…By using power flow controller technology we can unlock additional energy without needing to build new lines or upgrade existing transmission lines, which minimises environmental and community impact,” Redman added.
Transgrid tech uptake
Smart Wires CEO Peter Wells believes Transgrid’s adoption of grid enhancing technology will be critical to Australia’s long-term energy future: “Transgrid is one of the world’s leading utilities in this space, and through VNI and other projects, is proving its commitment to the energy transition, the environment and its customers.
“The VNI project has been an incredibly successful collaboration which has increased transfer capacity and enabled the connection of significantly more renewables…We are very proud to partner with Transgrid and support the evolution of Australia’s grid into a digital, secure and accessible platform capable of delivering net zero, economic growth, innovation, jobs and prosperity,” stated Wells.
According to Transgrid, they are the first large scale user of SmartValve technology in Australia.
The project was the preferred option identified to increase transfer capacity between NSW and Victoria in the 2020 Project Assessment Conclusion Report (PACR) by the Australian Market Energy Operator (AMEO) and Transgrid.
The PACR found the VNI upgrade is expected to deliver net benefits of up to AU$268 million ($169.4 million) to electricity customers.
The VNI upgrade will also help reduce electricity bills through more efficient sharing of generation resources between the states and enable more energy from renewable sources to enter the grid.
It will also support the development of new renewable generation in the state’s energy zones.
