Grid Code Strengthens the Role of Renewables Power Systems, Says Official

MINISTRY OF ENERGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES

REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA

PRESS RELEASE

NUMBER: 328.Pers/04/SJI/2021

Date: 17 September 2021

Grid Code Strengthens the Role of Renewables Power Systems, Says Official

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (EMR) guarantees that the rules on electrical network systems, or grid code, can optimize the performance of new, renewable energy-based power plants.

"New, renewable energy power plants, especially those with an intermittent characteristic (solar and wind power systems), contribute significantly to the (electrical) systems at the national level and maintain service reliability at the local level," said the Planning and Development Director of New, Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Infrastructure, Hendra Iswahyudi, during the Energy Talk Series webinar titled 'The Deal with Intermittency: Energy Storage Resilience for Solar PV and Solar Park Development in Indonesia' held on Thursday (16/9).

The code is stated in Regulation of Minister of EMR Number 20 of 2020 on the Rules on Electrical System Networks. To control smart grids, Hendra continued, the ministerial regulation also controls the formation of a Grid Code Management Committee (KMAJ) that includes a subcommittee on new, renewable energy. The subcommittee has three functions, namely to plan, operate and measure (meter) the transactions/settlement of new, renewable energy.

According to the ministerial regulation, the managers of intermittent new, renewable energy-based power plants have a number of responsibilities. First, they must declare any changes to the operating capacity of the power plant from the currently stated condition. Second, they must coordinate any maintenance activities with the operation manager of PT PLN's system. Third, they must obey the instructions of the operation manager of PT PLN's system in terms of the synchronization and release of generating units into or from the system, or in terms of load changes to meet system needs.

Next, a power plant with a total capacity of at least 5 MW in one connection point must carry out the instructions of the operation manager of PT PLN's system in activating or shutting off the Automatic Generation Control (AGC) function.

"There is a privilege specific for this, that is, in an emergency, the operation manager of PT PLN's system has the authority to reduce the load of intermittent power plants as the last priority," Hendra explained.

Finally, during disruptions or emergency situations of a system, the managers of intermittent new, renewable energy-based power plants must not release the generation units from the system unless they can prove that the generation units will be in serious damage if they are not freed.

While accommodating the potential for new, renewable energy in the electrical power networks, the ministerial regulation also controls the enforcement of the Grid Code adoption by grid users as well as investigation into non-compliance that will impact on system reliability. The Grid Code enforcement and investigation into non-compliance are the tools of PLN to ensure its program of 'Anti-Blackout System in 2025'. (IY)

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