Engineering Roadmap Execution Reports

The connection of DER ranging between 200 kW up to 5 MW is currently managed through the distribution network service provider connection process referenced in NER Chapter 5A.

AEMO is interested in the cumulative impact of these connections on the bulk power system, and any requirements that may support the continued safety and reliability of the NEM as larger volumes of these systems are installed. It is important that adequate technical requirements are in place and cover the different types of DER connections and forms of participation across the sub-5 MW size range.

AEMO welcomes comment and feedback from stakeholders on the recommendations in this report.

The EV Technical Standards for Grid Operation – Insights for the National Electricity Market, published in December 2023:

AEMO engaged a consultancy to provide an initial exploration of the emerging and potential transmission-scale power system risks associated with growing EV charging loads.

The report aims to build knowledge of the broader landscape and implementation of technical standards and grid connection requirements that apply to Electric Vehicles (EVs), EV Supply Equipment (EVSE) and other potentially significant loads in Australia and internationally.

Important Notice

This document is subject to an important disclaimer that limits and excludes AEMO’s liability for reliance on the information in it. Please read this Important Notice before you read the rest of this document.

An update to the to the report Compliance of DER with Technical Settings published in April 2023.

The Compliance of DER with Technical Settings report, published in April 2023:

• Summarises the evidence on the nature and scale of DER non-compliance
• Highlights the importance and urgency of improving DER compliance
• Shares insights that may inform improvements to governance frameworks for managing DER compliance.

This report summarises the preliminary analysis conducted to quantify the synthetic inertia of a grid-forming (GFM) battery energy storage system (BESS). The analysis presented in this report provides guidance on quantifying the synthetic inertia of a GFM BESS and highlights factors that should be considered while determining synthetic inertia of a GFM BESS.

The analysis conducted suggests that the synthetic inertia of a GFM BESS would be variable and dependent on the operating point of the GFM BESS, the size of the contingency that would occur in the power system and overload capacity of the GFM BESS.

The Voluntary Specification for Grid-forming Inverters: Core Requirements Test Framework, published in January 2024:

• Provides a framework for testing equipment and control modes in simulation, to determine whether they can meet the requirements of the core capabilities listed in the Voluntary Specification for Grid-Forming Inverters (Voluntary Specification)

• Accompanies the Voluntary Specification as a preliminary set of documents to provide guidance to stakeholders while the regulatory environment around grid-forming technology develops

The Voluntary Specification for Grid-Forming Inverters, published in May 2023:

• Defines and specifies the ‘core’ technical capabilities that power electronic devices should have in order to be categorised as grid-forming inverters
• Includes expected performance requirements for grid-forming inverters and ‘additional capabilities’ which, although desirable, may not be met by all grid-forming inverters

The Role and Need for Inertia in a NEM-Like System, published in May 2024:

• AEMO engaged Vysus Group to conduct an independent simulation-based analysis on frequency and angle stability using a simplified network model, to inform ongoing investigation of power system stability under low levels of synchronous inertia.
• This report summarises the findings of this high-level study, including:
  
  • The extent to which the geographic distribution of synchronous inertia across the power system impacts various stability phenomena in the power system.
  • Whether the power system could run entirely at zero or very low levels of synchronous inertia.
  • At what level of synchronous inertia would AEMO need to consider other power system stability phenomena in the calculation of inertia requirements.
• The study highlights the value of further analysis to improve understanding of these phenomena in the context of the NEM.

Important Notice

This document is subject to an important disclaimer that limits and excludes AEMO’s liability for reliance on the information in it. Please read this Important Notice before you read the rest of this document.

The 100% Inverter Based Resource Generation Study – Tasmania Region report, published March 2024:

• Summarises findings of a scoping study initiated by AEMO and TasNetworks which aimed to identify the most significant system security considerations arising from operation of the Tasmanian network without any synchronous generation, that is, scenarios with 100% penetration of inverter based resources (IBR) generation.
• Is part of a work package under the Engineering Roadmap to uplift operational capabilities by improving practical understanding of what 100% IBR generation scenarios mean for day-to-day operation of the National Electricity Market (NEM).

The Inertia in the NEM explained factsheet, published in March 2023:

• Clarifies and distinguishes key terms associated with power system inertia in the NEM
• Presents AEMO’s technical view on inertia in the NEM at time of publication

The Enduring primary frequency response requirements for the NEM technical white paper, published in September 2021:

• Examines the role of primary frequency response (PFR) within the broader frequency control chain.
• Establishes the technical characteristics and power system requirements of effective PFR.
• Explores how effective PFR can be maintained as the power system continues to transition into the future.

The Application of Advanced Grid-Scale Inverters in the NEM white paper, published in August 2021:

• Describes the application of advanced grid-scale inverters in the NEM, with a focus on grid-forming inverters.
• Provides recommendations toward enabling the application of this technology to support the NEM.