Wind, the Wild Boy in the Power Plant Family

Abstract

The RAVE research project Grid Integration investigated how the fluctuating output of large offshore wind farms is successfully integrated into the German grid. This is important because it is only possible to take as much out of the grid as is being fed in at exactly the same time. By combining several offshore wind farms it is possible to operate them like a large power plant network, including operating reserve. Doing this requires precise wind prediction models. Different prediction models were developed with regard to the safety and stability of the grid. With a joint North Sea offshore supergrid between Scandinavia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Germany it would be possible to intercept power peaks, balance power deficits with energy from the offshore wind farms or with excess Scandinavian hydroelectric power, and also increase system reliability. Offshore wind farms acting as an offshore power plant network would then be the key component of such a future grid system.