Enspec provides specialist modelling to keep project on track

29Oct

Enspec Power Limited announced another successful power system study project, this time for Beinn an Tuirc Phase 3 wind farm on the Kintyre peninsular in Scotland.

The study was conducted in parallel to another Enspec project to supply a Shunt Reactor for the SSE plc connection of the wind farm to the National Grid.

Grid code compliance is always an issue for wind farms because of the complex switching requirements, and Enspec has built a strong reputation for analysing, modelling and designing wind farm switching systems. Enspec Director Tim Rastall said; “It's important to model switching at an early stage, otherwise you can store up delays for later in the project. We're increasingly carrying out studies early in projects, but we're also still seeing projects dealing with unforeseen grid code compliance issues late in the project and needing studies very quickly to get them back on track with a solution.”

Enspec has invested heavily in the software and expertise needed for system studies, and the design knowledge needed for Point-on-Wave switching solutions and related technologies. “It means we can help clients at any stage in their project – reactive problem solving to get a project back on track or at an early design phase,” says Tim Rastall.

For the Beinn an Tuirc Phase 3 project, Enspec ran a Transient Recovery Voltage (TRV) study to ensure the 33kV circuit breaker was sufficiently rated to switch the shunt reactor. Enspec was picked for the project by Kirby Engineering, and the project is managed by SSE plc for Scottish Power Renewables.

Enspec was chosen because of its ability to meet an urgent need for a new study, and because Enspec was already supplying the shunt reactors. Enspec also has a history of previous successful projects for SSE plc group companies. The contract for the study was awarded in September 2020 and the first iteration of the study was delivered the same month.