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tional power plants operate, we will have to adjust demand to production
much more in the future. Primarily, and from an economical viewpoint, that
relates to industry and commerce. By adjusting the demand from plant and
machinery that is not production-related, such as compressed-air systems,
cooling systems, etc., more flexibility can be obtained.
Christof von Branconi:
“Our power generation
modules are capable of
balancing out demand
fluctuations.”
Christof von Branconi: In addition, our power generation modules can
balance out those demand fluctuations. For example, backup generators
sitting in the basements of tower blocks waiting to be called into action
in an emergency can provide that regulating supply. It can be called upon
flexibly by grid operators whenever there is too little supply within the public
power grid to maintain the voltage. For that to work, the generators
simply have to be differently configured and the connection between the
energy module and the mains grid set up so that the backup generator can
be brought on stream as required. With our CHP plants, we already provide
that capability because the majority of the operators feed their electricity
into the national grid.
...Distributed power generation modules from MTU Onsite Energy can balance out those fluctuations. They are
flexibly deployable, easy to control and can be brought into action whenever electricity is required.
Is that worthwhile for the operators?
Christof von Branconi: As ever, that is a question of supply and demand.
But I assume that the prices for the regulating energy will increase in future
because the fluctuations in the grids will increase due to the greater use of
renewable energies. And in the end, the operator has the plant in any case.
So if they generate electricity and sell it, they are earning more money. We
are very occupied at present with the consequences that such increased
demand for regulating power will have for our clients. One consideration is,
in conjunction with a maintenance contract, to offer customers modules
that will allow them to enter that market in future.
So what will happen if the genset is actually needed as a backup generator
just at the time it is being used to supply regulating power to
the mains grid?
Christof von Branconi: The emergency backup function will always take
precedence over supplying regulating power. The generators will always be
controlled as part of a pool. And that will always be larger than the quantity
of electricity that the operator of that pool is allowed to supply. As soon as
a power module has to supply emergency power, it is taken out of the regulating-power
supply pool.
Stephan Kohler: “We
have to adjust demand
much more to production.”
Energy
MTU Report 02/11 I 11