Macarthur wind farm – GPS compliance assessment and R2 model validation
Client: Vestas Australian Wind Technology
Location: Macarthur, Victoria
Date: June 2012 – September 2014
Ensuring successful compliance assessment and model validation to enable a new wind farm to rapidly achieve approval to connect to the grid and begin commercial operation.
Background
The 420 MW Macarthur wind farm, 260 km west of Melbourne, consists of 140 Vestas V112 3 MW wind turbines. The Australian National Electricity Rules require wind farms to provide mathematical models of all items of plant to represent the aggregated wind farm. The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) requires validation of the accuracy of the models.
Solution
Test plans were developed by Entura based on the identified tests for GPS compliance assessment and R2 model validation. Pre-test simulations assessed any significant impacts of the proposed tests to system security. Detailed test procedures were prepared to assist wind farm operators.
Entura provided technical support to the commissioning process, GPS compliance assessment tests and prepared a compliance report for AEMO which enabled the commissioning process to move forward to the next hold point. Following the commissioning system testing, Entura conducted data analysis, GPS compliance assessment and system test simulation to validate the models and prepare the R2 model validation report.
Outcome
Entura’s expertise in testing and analysing wind turbines and associated control gear is ideally suited to helping new wind farms obtain approval from AEMO to connect to the grid and achieve commercial operation.
Entura’s knowledge of wind turbine technology to identify system testing was crucial to the success of this project. Entura’s pre-test preparation, together with the site coordination of the wind farm commissioning, smooth testing sequence, and accurate data recording and analysis, resulted in AEMO granting approval rapidly. AEMO quickly approved each increase in load level due to the demonstration of the GPS compliance from the test results, which meant reduced losses due to curtailed generation for the client.
Entura’s team integrated the tests with Vestas’ commissioning program to ensure an optimised test schedule. Our ability to work closely with the client, equipment supplier, network service provider and AEMO ensured no delays due to modelling issues in reaching commercial operation.
