The Regional Secretary for Equipment and Infrastructures visited, this Monday, the Caniçal Synchronous Compensator, an infrastructure that the Regional Government, through the Madeira Electricity Company (EEM), is building, constituting a strategic investment for the Region.
This equipment stands out, above all, for its ability to instantly inject high short-circuit currents, in the order of 5 times the nominal capacity, over a short period. This function is essential to isolate network defects, minimising voltage gaps, especially in scenarios of strong penetrations of renewables.
In addition, the compensator plays an essential role in the stability of tension, one of the problems that contributed to the blackout that occurred on the 28th of April in the Iberian Peninsula. It is, therefore, an advanced equipment that will play a crucial role in the energy transition of the Region, even allowing the operation of the electricity system without thermal power plants (“zero thermal” mode) whenever renewable resources are available.
During the visit, Pedro Rodrigues highlighted that “this is a structuring investment that strengthens the stability of our electricity grid and makes it possible for Madeira to take another firm step towards the goal of achieving 50% penetration of renewable energies, without compromising the current criteria of quality of service and security of supply to consumers. We are building a more resilient and efficient system, following a firm path towards energy autonomy and sustainability.”
With an overall investment of around 8 million euros, co-financed by the European Union through the RRP, the main objective of the compensator is to strengthen the stability of the electricity grid on the island of Madeira. The work was launched in April 2023, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
The Synchronous Compensator has a power of 15 MVAr, at a voltage level of 60 KV. It is equipped with an inertia flywheel to achieve an inertia constant (H) equal to or greater than 6 seconds at the base of the machine, and will be connected to the Caniçal substation, ensuring the stability of the network in normal operating regimes and situations of disturbance in the different elements of the system.
One of the most innovative aspects of the project is the coupling to an inertia flywheel, allowing the compensator to achieve a high inertia constant, making a decisive contribution to the stability of the grid frequency. This characteristic is fundamental in an isolated grid such as Madeira, where the variability of renewable production can compromise stability in seconds.
This investment is part of a wider set of strategic projects on the island of Madeira, namely the battery plant with 18.7MW of power and 16.1 MWh of capacity, also financed by the RRP. Together, these projects significantly increase the resilience, efficiency, and sustainability of the regional electricity system, paving the way for cleaner energy and a more energy-autonomous Madeira.
The combination of battery storage, with mechanical inertia, represents a milestone in regional electrical engineering and an example of good practices, placing Madeira at the forefront of the energy transition in European island regions, says SREI, in a press release.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
