EirGrid is responsible for operating and developing Ireland’s electricity grid and market. Credit: George Trumpeter / Shutterstock.

Irish electricity grid operator EirGrid has awarded four contracts for renewables integration technologies, specifically synchronous condensers, to support Ireland’s energy transition.

The company noted that these technologies will provide low carbon inertia services (LCIS) to help maintain stability on the electricity grid while accommodating higher levels of clean power.

The contracts were awarded to Quarry Lane Stability in Sligo, a wholly owned subsidiary of Statkraft Ireland; Glencloosagh Energy in Kerry, which is also a subsidiary of Statkraft Ireland; Buffy Letter in Galway; and Green Frog Power in Wexford.

In the past, maintaining power system stability relied on the inertia provided solely by large conventional generators.

Earlier this year, EirGrid reduced the minimum number of large fossil-fuelled generators required on Ireland’s electricity grid from five to four.

The LCIS technology is set to be implemented between 2027 and 2028, with the potential to further reduce the minimum number of units needed in the future.

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The contracts for the construction of synchronous condensers will collectively deliver 6,963MVA of synchronous inertia, as well as reactive power support and short-circuit contribution, all without producing active power.

EirGrid chief transformation and technology officer Liam Ryan said: “The availability of low carbon inertia services is an important part of an extensive programme of work we’re undertaking to make the grid renewables ready, which will benefit the economy and local communities across Ireland.

“In recent years, this has included the introduction of new technology in our control centre, as well as an increase in our rate of change of frequency limit, following a large decade-long programme in conjunction with the regulators, the distribution system operators and the generators on the island of Ireland.

“At the moment, up to 75% of Ireland’s electricity generation can come from variable renewables, such as wind and solar, at any one time. This is known as the system non-synchronous penetration (SNSP) limit.”

EirGrid is responsible for operating and developing Ireland’s electricity grid and market.

In November 2022, EirGrid and its French counterpart, Réseau de Transport d’Electricité (RTE), signed technical and financial agreements for a 700MW high-voltage subsea cable.