Uniper Wins UK Grid Stability Tenders

UK gas and power grid operator National Grid Electricity Supply Operator has awarded Uniper four contracts, each of six years, to manage power grid stability but without combustion, the German utility said February 6.

Uniper will repurpose redundant steam generators at Killingholme and build two new synchronous compensation units at Grain, which will start delivering inertia services and voltage control to the grid from April 2021. Uniper will be the biggest provider of dedicated inertia and voltage control and will deliver the services at Killingholme and Grain up to 2026.

Uniper will provide these services without the need for combustion of fuel. This innovative approach removes the need to use 'generating' power stations that have traditionally been needed to keep the system stable and electricity supply at the required frequency. These services will operate independently of the company's current generating assets on site, while making use of existing infrastructure, Uniper said.

Renewable generation technology creates instability in the power grid and this is "one of the central challenges of the energy transition," said Uniper.

Uniper's country chair Mike Lockett said that the requirements of the energy transition mean there are considerable growth opportunities in providing stability solutions to Grid. This is the first tender National Grid Electricity Supply Operator has run under phase one of its System Stability Pathfinder and Uniper expects more stability tenders.