Ireland's great grid stabilizer
With Ireland set to phase out coal-fired power generation in favor of renewables, a radical new vision for one coal plant promises to bring stability to the grid. The first step? A synchronous condenser with the world’s largest flywheel.
Ireland finds itself in a similar situation to other countries now looking to advance progressive climate action targets and phase out coal while providing inexpensive energy and limiting their dependency on other nations.
This is what the World Energy Council coined the “energy trilemma” in 2015: How can we balance security, affordability and sustainability in our energy systems? Fortunately, Ireland has massive amounts of renewable energy just off its coast – wind, and more than enough of it to power their country many times over.
“Imagine your electricity grid as a motorway,” says Katie Wall. “With conventional forms of generation, you won’t fall off that motorway. But drop those forms in favor of renewables, and suddenly your grid is a tightrope. At some point you’re going to lose your balance, right? And you’ll need a safety net.”
