Power Electronics is strengthening its position as the technology and engineering leader for large-scale grid-forming projects in Australia.
The company supports developers and asset owners in delivering complex energy infrastructure with greater certainty, from grid connection through to commercial operation.
Its experience in the Australian market, advanced grid-forming technology and local engineering capabilities will be demonstrated at the Smoky Creek and Guthrie’s Gap solar and battery hybrid projects in Central Queensland.
Developed by Edify Energy, the 600 MW projects will use an integrated solution supplied under an agreement between Power Electronics and DT Infrastructure.
It is designed to combine solar generation, battery energy storage and advanced network-support capabilities.
Power Electronics is supplying 164 GEN 3 2.0 PCSM battery inverters, MV transformers, 536 Freesun DC/DC converters and Power Plant Controllers.
It is also providing specialised engineering and on-site commissioning support.
As renewable generation and battery storage expand, Australia needs infrastructure that does more than deliver power.
It must also actively support the stability and resilience of the network.
Power Electronics responds with a BESS-leading DC-coupled architecture that coordinates the hybrid plant through a unified power conversion and control platform.
Energy from the solar array is transferred to the battery system through Freesun DC/DC converters before final conversion and delivery to the AC network.
This allows solar generation, storage and plant-level control to operate as one integrated system, improving efficiency and flexibility in how renewable energy is captured, managed and dispatched.
The architecture also allows a single set of grid-forming inverters to be used, helping the plant provide greater stability and resilience against network disturbances.
Through Virtual Synchronous Machine (VISMA) functionality, the solution is designed to reproduce relevant characteristics of conventional synchronous generation.
It will also support participation in Frequency Control Ancillary Services (FCAS) and the provision of additional network support services.
Delivering grid-forming projects requires detailed knowledge of local network requirements, validated grid models and specialised engineering support across the project lifecycle.
With 20 years in the Australian market, Power Electronics supports customers from early grid connection and technical validation through to testing, commissioning and long-term operation.
Its local team assists with network model validation, Hold Point testing and SCADA testing, helping align the behaviour represented in grid models with actual plant performance during commissioning.
The company also has more than 50 dedicated O&M professionals in Australia, backed by engineering, spare parts, training and technical assistance from Brisbane, with typical response times of 24 and 48 hours.
“Grid-forming projects require technology, engineering capabilities and local experience to work together from the earliest stages of grid connection,” said Glenn Clark, Business Development Director at Power Electronics Australia.
“Smoky Creek and Guthrie’s Gap is an example of how Power Electronics combines these capabilities to support complex hybrid projects and provide customers with greater certainty throughout the complete project lifecycle.”
The developments are located in Banana Shire, Central Queensland, on the traditional lands of the Gaangalu Nation People.
They form part of a wider renewable energy development that will connect to Powerlink’s 275 kV network through a new terminal station, combining solar generation and lithium-ion battery storage with a DC-coupled architecture and grid-forming inverters.
