Western Power Future of the GridPresentation for Mid West Economic Summit

Doug Thomson

Transmission Grid Strategy Manager 18 February 2021

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2,700+ strong workforce

271,000 streetlights

13 Community Batteries

1GW+ rooftop solar

(~30% homes)

~793 battery systems approved

2+ million people connected

Our grid

covers

254,920 km2

Figures correct as of January 2020

About Western Power

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What we do

Power Generation Western Power Network

RetailerPower Generation Western Power Network

Retailer

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Our traditional interconnected network

of poles and wires

A centralised network with consumers at the edge of the

network on island systems

An extreme model with no centralised network

A flexible model with a centralised grid embraces SPS, microgrids, VPPs

and other new technologies

Integrated Network

Fringe Disconnection

Modular Network

Fully Decentralised

Radial Network

Mesh Network

MicrogridStand-alone Power Systems (SPS)

A more flexible grid will support our customers adoption of changing generation and storage options. Grid evolution is reliant on community behaviour, technology advancement rates, regulation and policy.

Why we’re evolving our grid

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Western Power’s Distribution Grid Vision identifies the key technologies that will underpin our delivery of services to customers into the future.

The autonomous grid will be serviced using SPS and microgrids to cover the low density areas of our network.

The remaining mesh grid will be serviced using overhead and underground network solutions enhanced through the control of advanced network operations and control, grid storage and customer DER.

Our distribution grid vision

Future State Vision

Indicative only, subject to change

Stand-alone power systems

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• Solar, battery and backup generator (as required)

• Power a single connection

• Replaces end of life assets, avoiding network upgrade

• Significant improvement to reliability

• Round 1 – 7 in City of Greater Geraldton

• Round 2 – 29 in the Mid West with 4 in the Shire of Northampton

• Approx. 150 additional units proposed in the Mid West Region over the next 10 years

Battery energy storage system – Perenjori

Morawa

Perenjori

N2706750

N4590878

N1408817

Three Springs ZSS

PE1

BESS commissioned July 2018

• Objective: Improve town supply reliability

• Town supply: 33 kV feeder approx. 75km Three Springs 132/33 kV substation

• System design: Feeder supplying town is faulted (upstream BESS back towards Three Springs substation). BESS intentional island for supply continuity.

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Perenjori BESS

• 25 hours outage avoided in 18 months• Planned and unplanned outages

avoided• Power quality improvements• 93 local mobile phones receiving text

message alerts

• Kalbarri peak (holiday) load of 3.7MVA

• Supplied by a 140km long rural feeder

exposed to environmental factors

• Feeder’s length, remoteness and

environmental conditions can lead to

extended outages

• Existing generation (wind turbines &

solar PV)

• Utilise renewable microgrid solution to

improve reliability

Kalbarri Microgrid

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North RegionEast Region

Central Region

South Region

• Large-scale renewable zones / energy hub(s)

• Increased dependency on the generation in this area

• Better utilisation of bulk 330kV network

• Rationalised transmission voltages

• Optimised network topology

• Decentralised generation

• Significant coal generation retirements

• Large-scale industrial zones

• Modularised, better utilised transmission network

• Renewable energy zone

• Volatile / high net worth (mining) customer demand

• Remote, radially connected region

FUTURE STATE OF THE TRANSMISSION GRID – REGIONAL CHARACTERISTICS

Flashpoints short term reliability issues

Hot Spots long standing reliability issues

Traditional

Asset management

New technologies

BESS

Microgrids

• Perenjori

• Kalbarri

Quick wins

• e.g. Fuse savers

Modular short term solutions

• HVIU

Automated analysis tool

What will drive the change

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Head office363 Wellington StreetPerth, WA 6000westernpower.com.au