Leading renewable energy consultancy and service provider, Natural Power, has been appointed by PeakGen to deliver high voltage management services for the Mersey Reactive Power Limited (MRPL) Frodsham Shunt Reactor project at Frodsham 400kV substation in Cheshire.

The project is the result of a National Grid ESO tender to provide reactive power that helps balance supply and demand for electricity minute by minute, keeping voltage stable, across the Mersey region. The contract will take on a novel approach: a reactor which absorbs reactive power, and battery, which will be able to operate in additional markets alongside its reactive power contract.

The substation will be connected to Natural Power's ControlCentre to provide a 24/7, 365 days a year support to ensure it remains safe and operational. The services being provided will include day to day monitoring and system management as well as the application of safety processes and procedures for all reactive and planned maintenance work.

Alistair Parlett, Natural Power's Head of Asset Management UK, said: "As more intermittent renewables have come onto the grid, the need to finely balance the voltage has led National Grid ESO to explore a number of reactive power solutions.

"We're delighted to be at the forefront of industry innovation thanks to the continued development of our state-of-the-art ControlCentre which can connect to and remotely manage renewable energy assets anywhere in the world."

As more renewable generation, such as wind and solar, replaces traditional fossil-fired power stations, the need for flexible, clean generation - that is able to react quickly to changes in consumer electricity demand - is increasing. For every 8MW of wind generation that is installed, an additional 1MW of flexible generation, such as PeakGen's fleet, is used by system operators to balance electricity demand. PeakGen's assets are also used to provide network flexibility for distribution network operators; all with the goal of optimising the system and saving customers money.

Ian Graves (CEO) at PeakGen and Mersey Reactive Power Limited said: "My team was delighted to win this contract and show that agile, competitive companies can make a real difference during the energy transition. Natural Power has helped to make the interface with traditional companies more familiar and we are pleased to have them as our partner."

Reactive power is an increasingly important part of the UK grid, maintaining voltage levels to allow more energy to be transported down existing infrastructure. It therefore increases the capacity of the transmission system without upgrading existing infrastructure.

About Natural Power

Natural Power is an independent consultancy and service provider that supports a global client base in the effective delivery of a wide range of renewable projects including onshore wind, solar, renewable heat, energy storage and offshore technologies. It has a global reach, employing more than 400 staff across 14 international offices. Its experience extends across all phases of the project lifecycle from initial feasibility, through construction to operations and throughout all stages of the transaction cycle.

Natural Power's ControlCentre currently monitors 125 asset management contracts and a further 66 contracts specifically for HV services. Furthermore, the asset management team provides HV management services to 66 projects in the UK at connection voltages ranging from 11kV to 400kV with associated technologies such as onshore and offshore wind and battery energy storage.
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About PeakGen

PeakGen is an owner and operator of more than 200MW of power generation and grid scale batteries. Through it's ‘Net Zero Energy Development' brand it has been successful in to National Grid ESO Pathfinder programmes to date and is currently developing projects in the UK, Ireland and the US.
Net Zero Energy Development can provide development, construction, asset management, operations and maintenance, trading and optimisation services to any organisation wishing to play their part in the energy transition and our journey to net zero.
www.peakgen.com