Annual Power Engineering Exchange (APEX) Summit Southern 2013

The Programme - Flyer

APEX PAPER WINNER 2013

Julien Arts, Contact Energy

Julien graduated from the University of Canterbury with a degree in electrical engineering in 2009, and has been working with Contact Energy since then. His work has primarily been focused on the interface between Contact Energy’s power stations and the national grid, with an emphasis on compliance and ancillary services. This has involved working on the commissioning of two new gas turbines at Stratford Power Station, after which he focused on governor and excitation system testing and modelling. Julien has spent the last year project managing the design, installation and commissioning of a multiple frequency keeping system.

Multiple Frequency Keeping

Multiple frequency keeping has recently been implemented in the North Island as a method of correcting imbalances between generation and load in the New Zealand power system. It differs from previous frequency keeping methods, in that now the System Operator acts as a central point of control, with the ability to send out MW setpoint instructions to several market participants at once. To achieve this, new communications infrastructure was required for the fast, accurate and secure transmission of data that was required to achieve a sufficient level of control. The installation of this infrastructure provides flexibility for future applications which will help enable the integration of renewable energy sources and smart grid technology. This presentation is from a generation company’s point of view, highlighting the technology used, the problems faced and the changes made to the plant control systems to accommodate acceptance of a MW setpoint from a remote site. In addition to this, the wider implications of such communications for Contact Energy’s other power stations are discussed, particularly with respect to security of control system networks, wear and tear on the plant, cost-benefit and possible future developments in this field.

Presentations