Pillar 3: Operability Planning and operating a more complex power system “Uplifts are needed in real time monitoring, power system modelling, and control room technologies by AEMO and Network Service Providers, to ensure operational staff have the tools to maintain secure operation of the NEM power system as it transitions to significant penetrations of inverter-based resources including Distributed Energy Resources”. AEMO, 2022 Integrated System Plan Over the next decade, an investment by Transgrid of $140 million will be needed to build new operational technology tools and $16 million per year to increase our staffing levels and training to facilitate the safe and secure transition of NSW’s electricity system. To 2033, investment in operability is projected to represent 0.2% of total electricity system spending in NSW, including on generation, storage, system security, the distribution network and consumer spending on distributed energy resources. Investing in operability uplift is projected to deliver over $4 in benefits to consumers for every $1 spent by ensuring grid operators are equipped to deal with emerging challenges, and avoiding disruptive and costly power outages that may otherwise occur.
3.1. Driving complexity in the NSW power system A grid operating at 100% instantaneous renewable energy is a fundamentally different system to plan for, operate and manage. Driving this increase in complexity over the coming decade in NSW is the: • Accelerated retirement (and reduced operation/availability) of over 7GW of coal generation capacity, reducing the share of synchronous thermal generation from 68% today, to 17% in 2033.
These unprecedented technology and operational changes (and their occurrence in such a condensed timeframe over the next decade) are making it more challenging for Transgrid to plan, manage and operate the NSW power system, and increase operational risk. Managing the increased complexity of the NSW power system is not a future problem. The system is already more dynamic, unpredictable and is sitting closer to the edge of its secure operating envelope. Transgrid’s existing operational tools and capabilities are now at full capacity.
3.2. Transgrid’s role in operating the NSW transmission system As a Transmission Network Service Provider (TNSP), Transgrid is responsible for the safe, efficient and reliable planning, management and operation of the NSW transmission system. We perform studies for real-time, next-day, next-week, next-month operations and plan for operations and investment many years into the future. Our control room is constantly monitoring and interacting with transmission equipment, with generators and our direct-connected customers including distribution network operators. Operators are remotely activating and deactivating transmission equipment to ensure that power flows are stable, operating limits are not exceeded, and that sections of the grid are isolated for maintenance and the connection of new infrastructure, including renewable generators and storage. With an eye on the immediate future, we manage system security on the transmission subsystem (132kV lines) and ensure the reliability of the high voltage network is not compromised by planned and unplanned equipment outages. We must coordinate with the market operator to ensure that generation is dispatched only where the transmission network can support it – communicating changes in the operating envelope of the transmission network to AEMO so they can appropriately dispatch generators.
• Tripling of the proportion of generation expected to be provided from intermittent renewable sources, including the connection of 17GW of new large scale renewable generation and storage to the transmission system.
We maintain our transmission assets over their entire life cycle, ensuring that the network can deliver exceptionally high reliability and safety. This involves constantly monitoring equipment for changes in operational behaviour and assessing and planning for asset maintenance and renewal.
• Integration of at least five renewable energy zones under the NSW Electricity Infrastructure Investment Act 2020, including interfaces with multiple renewable energy zone Network Operators.
With an eye even further ahead, we ensure that generators being added to the system are set up where and with operating parameters that the system can reliably and securely support and in anticipation of developing transmission needs.
• Delivery of a significant program of major transmission projects, including the requirement to take prolonged system outages for construction.
Transgrid collaborates with AEMO, NSW Government, EnergyCo, NSW distribution networks and other transmission network service providers in adjacent jurisdictions to plan the needs of the transmission system to support forecast changes in generation and demand many years in advance in order to facilitate the energy transition for the benefit of our consumers.
• Almost tripling in capacity of rooftop solar, reducing minimum demand levels and significantly increasing reverse power flows from the distribution to transmission network. • On-boarding of new technologies with limited historical data and knowledge of operating performance, including grid-forming batteries, SmartValve technology and compressed air systems.
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System Security Roadmap