Pre-Feasibility Study of Offshore Grid Connection at Kriegers Flak
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An Analysis of Offshore Grid Connection at Kriegers Flak in the Baltic Sea Joint Pre-feasibility Study By Energinet.dk Svenska Kraftnät Vattenfall Europe Transmission May 2009 1. Executive Summary 3 2. Introduction 5 3. Background 5 4. Technical solutions for grid connection of offshore wind power plants 8 4.1 Separate solutions 9 4.2 Combined solutions 10 4.2.1 Combined, AC-based solution (B) 10 4.2.2 VSC-based multi-terminal solution (C) 11 4.2.3 Hybrid solution based on VSC- and AC-technology (D) 11 4.2.4 Summary of technical concepts 12 5. Method for calculating socio-economic benefit 12 6. Description of environmental issues 14 6.1 Environmental issues 14 6.2 Environmental assessments 15 6.2.1 Cumulative impacts of Kriegers Flak 1-3 15 6.2.2 Espoo EIA on combined solution 16 7. Overview and comparison of alternatives 16 8. Challenges 18 8.1 Co-ordination and commitment are needed 18 8.2 Uncertainties about the offshore wind power plants 19 8.3 Reinforcements of onshore grids 20 8.3.1 Internal grid reinforcements in Germany 21 8.3.2 Internal grid reinforcements in Sweden 21 8.3.3 Internal grid reinforcements in Denmark 22 8.4 VSC technology needs development and standardisation 22 8.5 Priority feed-in of wind power may limit day-ahead trade 23 8.6 Renewable energy from Kriegers Flak to the power market 23 8.7 Balancing 24 8.8 TSO agreements on costs and congestion rent 24 8.9 National support schemes for wind power 24 8.10 Framework for permissions 25 8.11 Other regulatory issues 25 9. Conclusions 25 References 27 2 1. Executive Summary The Kriegers Flak area in the Baltic Sea is well-suited for offshore wind power plants. A large number of wind turbines are being considered but at present there are no final deci- sions to place offshore wind power plants at Kriegers Flak. Spread out over the German, Swedish and Danish parts of Kriegers Flak a total of 1600 MW future wind power genera- tion capacity has been assumed in this study. As always, it is important that this wind energy is connected to the onshore grids in the best possible way. This prefeasibility study presents and discusses four technical concepts for connecting offshore wind power plants at Kriegers Flak in the Baltic Sea. One concept is a classical solution where the offshore power plants are connected nationally. This concept is com- pared to three combined solutions where the grid connection of the offshore wind power plants would also function as an interconnector between Germany, Sweden and Denmark. This combination is called combined solution throughout the document. A combined solu- tion at Kriegers Flak would: Bring renewable energy to the European consumers, strengthen the energy markets and increase the security of supply by providing transmis- sion capacity. The three combined concepts illustrate how it could be technically possible to design a combined grid solution at Kriegers Flak. It is also stated that e.g. a separate grid solution together with direct interconnectors could represent an alternative to a combined solution at Kriegers Flak. All four concepts are briefly described in this report and so is a rough analysis of the costs and benefits associated with these concepts. These possible concepts must be described and compared in more detail before a decision (including a choice of technology) can be made, and the concepts must also be compared to alternatives like separate interconnectors. The aim of this pre-feasibility study is to investigate the potential for a combined solution for the grid connection of offshore wind power at Kriegers Flak. What are the benefits and obstacles? The key questions are: - Is it technically possible? - Is it economically viable? - What are the environmental issues? - Is it practicable within the current legal, market and regulatory situation? The pre-feasibility study should answer these questions well enough to form a solid basis for a decision on whether to initiate a detailed feasibility study. All in all, the rough cost benefit analysis in this report indicates a positive bene- fit for a combined solution compared to separate grid connection of future off- shore wind power plants at Kriegers Flak. A more precise evaluation of this potential will require further analysis. The results of this pre-feasibility study thus indicate a good potential in an international approach which optimizes the grid connection with a focus on not just national but also regional benefits. A Kriegers Flak combined solution would involve three countries, two market systems, two synchronous zones, and the technical challenge it is to design combined, offshore solutions. So any combined grid solution at Kriegers Flak would involve new and interna- tional approaches in many ways. Naturally, there are barriers which must be overcome if such a project is to become a reality. This pre-feasibility study therefore also includes a description of the challenges which will be faced at Kriegers Flak. The following challenges have been identified and must be addressed: 3 - Co-ordination and commitment are needed - Uncertainties about the offshore wind power plants - Reinforcements of onshore grids will be necessary - Some concepts need development and standardisation of the VSC technology - Priority feed-in of wind power may limit day-ahead trade - Handling Kriegers Flak in the power market: common procedure needed - Balancing: common procedures or agreements needed - TSO agreements on costs and congestion rent needed - National support schemes for wind power differ - Frameworks for permissions are different, slow and complex - Other regulatory issues exists A combined grid solution at Kriegers Flak would require the involvement and commitment from a number of parties including the political systems. The transmission system opera- tors will play their part in this process and welcome discussions on this pre-feasibility study in particular and on Kriegers Flak in general. 4 2. Introduction This report summarizes the results from a pre-feasibility study on grid connection of fu- ture offshore wind power plants at Kriegers Flak in the Baltic Sea. The pre-feasibility study is a joint project carried out by the three Transmission System Operators (TSO) relevant to Kriegers Flak: Energinet.dk (Denmark), Svenska Kraftnät (Sweden) and Vat- tenfall Europe Transmission (Germany). The Kriegers Flak area is well-suited for offshore wind power plants. Spread out over the German, Swedish and Danish parts of Kriegers Flak a total of 1600 MW future wind power generation capacity has been assumed in this study. As always, it is important that this wind energy is connected to the onshore grids in the best possible way. The three TSO's initiated this pre-feasibility study to investigate the possibility of connect- ing future wind power plants at Kriegers Flak through a combined, international offshore grid connecting Germany, Sweden and Denmark. Such a combination has never been built, but it would serve three purposes: Bring renewable energy to the European con- sumers, strengthen the energy markets and increase the security of supply by providing transmission capacity. These synergies would be the result of optimizing grid connection of offshore wind power plants not just nationally but also regionally. This pre-feasibility study compares national, separate grid connection solutions to com- bined wind power connection and interconnector solutions. The combination of offshore wind power plant grid connection and a three-legged interconnector at Kriegers Flak (KF) is called Kriegers Flak combined solution or simply combined solution throughout the document. Realising that Kriegers Flak would need a close co-operation and co-ordination from the beginning, the three TSO's decided to make these investigations together. The aim of this joint pre-feasibility study is to assess possible technical concepts, additional cost and benefits, and to identify barriers, which could hinder a combined, international solution at Kriegers Flak. Transparency is important to the transmission system operators, and it was decided to make the results of this prefeasibility study public. This was also done in order to enable possible stakeholders to work on identified barriers and to help develop possible solutions. 3. Background With the need for more wind power, wind production has gradually changed from single, onshore wind turbines to offshore wind power plants. As the offshore wind power plants become bigger and are placed further from the coast, a re-evaluation of the way to con- nect these wind power plants to the electrical grid is needed. One such re-evaluation relates to the technology for connecting wind power plants. For every new offshore wind power plant, the situation is analyzed in detail and the best technical solution chosen. For offshore wind power plants near the coast, that best solu- 5 tion has up to now been based on AC-technology1. However, with increasing distances between the offshore plants and the onshore grid, new technologies based on DC- technology are becoming more and more interesting. With respect to offshore grids, the new type of DC-technology called VSC (Voltage Source Converter) is particularly suitable. Another re-evaluation questions the prevailing concept of connecting wind power plants radially. New concepts involve ideas about connecting neighbouring wind power plants not only to shore but also to each other and about combining connection of wind power plants with interconnectors. The latter is primarily interesting where wind power plants are placed far from shore and between areas where there is a good potential for electricity trade. Both the Baltic Sea and the North Sea are very interesting in this context. Connection fr om Norway In progress Coordinated offshore development DC platforms Ekofisk Kriegers Flak 28. april 2009 1 Fig. 1. Map from the Norwegian TSO, Statnett, showing a possible offshore grid develop- ment in the North Sea.