Prysmian joins Tesla’s renewables challenge
Prysmian is helping Tesla, Neoen and the South Australian Government in their effort to feed the national transmission grid with reliable green energy
Prysmian is helping Tesla, Neoen and the South Australian Government in their effort to feed the national transmission grid with reliable green energy
As the global trend is advocating for a transition from fossil energy to the establishment of renewable energy, one of the main challenges Countries and Transmission System Operators are facing is how to integrate the growing instable and decentralized power generated by clean sources in systems that require security of supplies and stability.
With the increased penetration of renewables, the grid is experiencing a shift from predictable dispatchable generation to variable non-dispatchable generation
What happens when the sun goes down and the wind stops? And what if renewable sources produce too much energy? How to ensure reliability of supply and prevent energy waste with a limited conventional generation contribution? Energy storage could be the right answer, as it is being considered by network operators as a potential effective solution enabling the grid stability.
That is the purpose of Elon Musk and his team, as Tesla planned to build the world’s biggest battery storage plant in South Australia aiming at solving the state’s energy woes. Tesla have joined forces with French company Neoen and the SA State Government to build a 100 MW lithium-ion battery storage plant that will complement the state’s commitment to renewables. The battery plant will sit alongside Neoen’s 99 turbine Hornsdale wind farm and connect to SA’s AC transmission grid, serving a dual function of storing unconsumed renewable energy and releasing it back into the grid during times of peak demand. Such energy would be enough to power more than 30,000 homes, approximately equal to the amount of homes that lost power during the widespread power outage that occurred last year which affected almost the entire state.
The wind farm battery storage will increase reliability of the state’s energy supply, provide short-term relief during times of crisis
and put downward pressure on rising energy prices
Prysmian Australia embraced this challenge and took part to Tesla and Neoen innovative project, supplying their quality cabling to Hornsdale Wind Farm, through the company CPP (Consolidated Power Projects), which is the Electrical Balance of Plant contractor installing, testing and commissioning the 33-kV reticulation system.
The Company’s commitment to support the State energy transition to a cleaner, cheaper and sustainable supply has been highlighted by Prysmian Australia CEO Frederick Persson.
CEO Prysmian Group Australia
Prysmian Australia has supplied 69 km of single and multi-core 33 kV cables to the Hornsdale Wind Farm project. The Medium voltage cables use Prysmian’s advanced technology “Termitex®” for protection against termites.