National Grid has outlined a timetable to explore bringing wind, distributed generation, battery storage and interconnectors into Black Start, the service via which it pays generators to help reboot the grid in the event of a failure.
Black Start is currently mainly provided by large thermal plant. But as coal comes off the system and other plants’ run hours are reduced by zero marginal cost renewables generation, National Grid must broaden procurement of Black Start services.
That presents a nine-figure opportunity to other providers, with National Grid planning to trial a market-based approach in 2020, aiming for a mature market in the mid-2020s, when unabated coal plant must shut down.
The System Operator said it will also look at approaches that allow different parties to collaborate to provide services.
See details here.
Meanwhile, National Grid has also outlined plans to rationalise Reactive Power procurement. It currently spends £150m per annum on voltage control.
See details here.
Related stories:
National Grid focuses on bringing smaller firms, EVs, households into flexibility provision
National Grid to bring wind and solar into FFR, outlines balancing services cull
National Grid confirms cull of frequency response products
National Grid plots major overhaul of balancing services with frequency response first to change
National Grid mulls rolling all frequency response services into one
Follow us at @EnergystMedia. For regular bulletins, sign up for the free newsletter.
