Tomasel, Aden (2014) The energy storage potential of a hybrid renewable generation grid connected to a pumped hydro-generation plant for effective connection into the energy market, off peak switchable developing load demand market and act as ancillary regional voltage support and bulk water supply. [USQ Project]
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Abstract
The primary objective of this study is to determine if a pumped hydro energy storage facility located near Toowoomba's Cressbrook dam is currently an economically viable option for South East Queensland. The intended purpose of this system is to ultimately act as fast acting ancillary grid service to help alleviate South East Queensland's ever increasing fast demand fluctuations as seen by the grid operators. These fluctuations are primarily due to the current and continually increasing installed domestic and utility scale intermittent Photovoltaic (PV) generation. This situation is becoming increasingly costly and problematic as grid security is becoming harder to maintain as a result. In trying to maintain an acceptable supply standard, this forces the energy markets power spot price to reach exceedingly high levels more frequently in addition to imposing increase stress on the grids infrastructure when compensating.
It was determined that the selected site north of Toowoomba is more than sufficient to cater for a hydro facility. There is adequate space, water resources and elevation between catchments along with the area having no environmentally or culturally sensitive areas. There was no restriction upon the site from initial investigations being a primer location for a PHES project.
To carry out the economic viability testing the HOMER simulation package was used. From initial testing the proposed system was deemed to be currently too expensive with the return from sales simply being insufficient within the current energy market.
As a result, future viability tests were conducted with a proposed large scale feed in tariff with the main difference in tariff structure being that it did not impose a demand cost. This greatly increased the economic viability of the project and made the possibility of such infrastructure much more likely, with the system now returning a profit on many of the variants. Furthermore an additional renewable generation element as investigated to aid pumping, comprising of possibly both a PV and wind farm proved to be a very beneficial option. Depending on yearly load and model variation the size of each renewable component changed but proved to be valuable to the system, with also improving the systems environmental footprint a major factor.
It was concluded that the proposed PHES system would be a very effective compensating tool to SEQ's demand fluctuations and is viable in the proposed location. However it is currently too expensive under contemporary tariff structures and it is advised that a large scale feed in tariff for such infrastructure is put into effect as this would greatly aid the viability of such systems. Additionally the proposed system will continue to become more viable as time progresses due to current trends within the energy and renewables market, in addition to being increasingly necessary if the demand fluctuations continue to increase in regularity and severity.
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| Item Type: | USQ Project |
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| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Bachelor of Power Systems Engineering project. |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences - School of Civil Engineering and Surveying (1 Jul 2013 - 31 Dec 2021) |
| Supervisors: | Helwig, Andreas |
| Date Deposited: | 09 Sep 2015 05:16 |
| Last Modified: | 09 Mar 2016 01:31 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Toowoomba; Queensland; Cressbrook Dam; photovoltaic generation systems; PV generation systems; renewable energy; hybrid pumped hydro energy storage; intermittent generation systems |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 09 Engineering > 0905 Civil Engineering > 090509 Water Resources Engineering |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 40 ENGINEERING > 4005 Civil engineering > 400513 Water resources engineering |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/27253 |
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