National Grid ESO has sent out a request for information to potential providers of reactive power services in the Mersey area.National Grid uses reactive power services to manage voltage stability on the network. As this is variable by location, it requires providers in specific areas to either absorb reactive power, which decreases voltage, or generate reactive power, which increases voltage.
The ESO says there is a growing requirement to control high voltage in the region. It has seen an increasing need to absorb MVArs in recent years and that has resulted in increased costs. The Request for Information (RFI) is the next step in expanding the process for voltage solutions.
The ESO is looking for reactive power offers of up to 200MVar from specific sites and would need year-round availability.
Minimum reactive power absorption is 15MVAr and connected at 33kV or above. This can be from a single unit or aggregated from several smaller units which are all within the required boundary.
It may consider contracts for up to 10 years between 2021/22 and 2030/31.
In the RFI it sought details on what providers may exist, and also on what contracts structures would be acceptable.
It wants responses by end May and will decide whether to open a tender by the end of June.
The ESO plans to open a second RFI in the Pennines in the next three months.
Read the full Request for Information here
A version of this story first published on the Energyst’s sister site, New Power.
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