Hybrid grid emulation system reduces emissions

Enel Green Power (Enel GP), an Italian multinational renewable energy corporation, was building its first wind farm + battery storage project, consisting of 79 wind turbines at their Azure Sky Wind Farm in Throckmorton, Texas. The project needed to be completed within a few months to meet a power purchase agreement (PPA) to supply power to end customers. Timely connection is imperative in order to avoid a number of critical risks, including reputational risk to the company, default on contractual and legal commitments, and construction risks.

In pursuit of its goals to reach Net Zero emissions from its power mix by 2050, Enel was committed to finding the greenest way to connect their wind turbines quickly, efficiently, and effectively. As part of their company-wide Net Zero goals, Enel also prioritized sustainability as they selected a provider for timely grid emulation and commissioning services.

Enel has a longstanding relationship with Aggreko, and for the Azure Wind Project, Enel challenged Aggreko to lower emissions while still providing its superior customer service, reliability, efficiency, and engineering expertise. Aggreko rose to the challenge, producing a fully customized commissioning solution with advanced control technology and batteries that would lower emissions. A project like this would normally require three combustion generators. However, to help meet Enel’s low carbon goals, Aggreko offered an alternative solution.

Aggreko provided off-grid contingency power and a 4.5 MW hybrid grid emulation package, including two generators and one battery, integrated as a 3 MW + 1 MW BESS hybrid solution. Aggreko also implemented advanced load control systems which, combined with energy storage, reduced the system’s emissions by over 67%. By integrating energy storage, Aggreko was able to provide the same grid emulation offering with one fewer generator, significantly reducing overall fuel consumption, emissions, and maintenance, while meeting all deadlines and commercial operations dates (COD).

With Aggreko’s support, Enel successfully tested and commissioned the Azure Sky Wind Farm, meeting end user needs while helping Enel get closer to its ESG target. The system is projected to generate around 1.3 TWh of renewable energy each year, avoiding more than 842,000 tons of CO2 emissions a year. This pilot program proves what is possible when clean, innovative hybrid solutions are applied to commissioning projects. Aggreko is proud to collaborate to provide renewable energy services to bring projects online cleaner and faster than ever.