To Free The Baltic Grid, Old Technology Is New Again

To Free the Baltic Grid, Old Technology Is New Again

Author: Peter Fairley

The Baltic countries—Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia—recently accelerated a plan to cut the electrical chains that keep them tied to Russia. A technical lynchpin to their planned escape from the Moscow-controlled synchronous AC power zone is a constellation of synchronous condensers: free-­spinning and fuel-free electrical generators whose sole purpose is to stabilize and protect power grids.

The Baltic states, all of which are members of the European Union and NATO, started freeing themselves from Russia’s electrical embrace almost a decade ago with the construction of high-voltage direct current (HVDC) connections to Finland, Sweden, and Poland. Those alternative sources of electrical support ended the Baltics’ dependance on imported power from Russia and Belarus.

Now stabilizing equipment is preparing the grid to be able to physically separate from the giant grid to the east, and to synchronize instead with the continental European grid to the south. In 2019, funding from the European Union jump-started the required grid-strengthening upgrades, and synchronization with Europe was scheduled for the end of 2025.

“Being on the Russian electricity grid is a risk for Estonian consumers.” —Kaja Kallas, prime minister of Estonia

Cost increases have delayed a crucial second link with Poland, and thus Europe, to 2028, but the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and Russia’s aerial assaults on the Ukrainian grid boosted pressure on the Baltics to break away faster. In August the Baltic states reached consensus on a plan to switch grids no later than February of 2025.

As Estonian prime minister Kaja Kallas explained: “Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and its use of energy as a weapon proves that it’s a dangerous and unpredictable country, and therefore being on the Russian electricity grid is a risk for Estonian consumers.” The prime ministers, she said, agreed to, “leave the Russian network as soon as the technical capacity is in place.”

This is where synchronous condensers step in. Synchronous condensers (also called synchronous compensators) are essentially generators that, in normal operation, are spun by an AC grid’s power and synced to its frequency (rather than driven by their own fuel). When power plants or transmission lines shut down unexpectedly, the momentum in their spinning mass offers an instantaneous supply of energy that cushions the blow, thus protecting equipment and preventing outages.

“It’s like an airbag for the power grid,” says Ana Joswig, portfolio life-cycle manager for synchronous condensers for market leader Siemens Energy, supplier for the nine synchronous condensers scheduled to be operating in the Baltics by the end of next year.

Joswig says the spinning machines provide three crucial grid-stabilizing services:

1. Frequency regulation: When grid power crashes or surges, the device immediately releases or absorbs energy to minimize fluctuation in the AC frequency;
2. Short circuit power: When the grid experiences a short circuit, the crashing voltage releases a tripling or more of current from rotating machines, which signal breakers on the grid to activate and quickly isolate the fault; and
3. Voltage support: Producing current and voltage that are out of phase generates so-called reactive power that pushes the local grid’s voltage up or down to stabilize system voltage, increase the flow of real power, or both.

Synchronous convertors were first deployed in the early 20th century, but they were rarely used because grid stabilization could be supplied by power plants with big spinning generators. But plants with steam and turbine-driven generators are increasingly being replaced by solar panels, wind turbines, and batteries that deliver their energy via electronic converters. Hence, a worldwide comeback for a technology that was invented over a century ago.

Joswig says there’s been an extra growth spurt as the energy transition accelerated over the last several years: “Before, some grid operators told me there is no market for the synchronous condenser. Now they can not get enough.”

Synchronizing with Europe drives added need for grid services in the Baltics. Europe has very large power plants whose failure can cause larger disruptions than the Baltics have traditionally faced. And, notes Joswig, in recent decades AC grids are experiencing more events where synchronization breaks down, leaving some regions electrically isolated—a scenario that will be extra relevant for the Baltics while it is operating with just one AC link to continental Europe.

When IEEE Spectrum profiled the reemergence of synchronous condensers in 2015, there was a notable trend toward the conversion of steam generators as coal-fired and nuclear power plants shut down. Today’s notable tech trend, says Joswig, is the addition of flywheels weighing hundreds of tonnes to boost momentum. All nine of the Baltics’ synchronous condensers will have power-boosting flywheels, as she explains, equipping each installation with up to 2,200 megajoules of energy. That’s roughly equivalent to the kinetic energy of a 3,000-tonne train cruising at 100 kilometers per hour.

In addition to synchronous condensers and international links, the Baltics are further strengthening their electrical systems by upgrading control systems and adding and rebuilding transmission lines. Moving up the final line renovation, a circuit between Estonia and Latvia to be ready at the end of 2024, clinched the deal to accelerate synchronization with Europe.

Justinas Juozaitis, who heads the World Politics Research Group at Lithuania’s military academy, says Russian action forced the speedup. For one thing, he says, Russia prepared faster for Baltic separation.

Russia and Belarus built new lines to strengthen their own grids. And Russia built four gas-fired power plants and a liquefied-natural-gas import terminal in Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave on the Baltic Sea sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania. “By 2021 they had built the infrastructure and proved that Kaliningrad can operate independently,” says Juozaitis. That, he says, put Russia in a position to disrupt Baltic power without risk of blacking-out its own territory.

By the middle of 2022, the Baltics forged a protocol for “emergency synchronization,” by which it can switch to Europe’s grid in a matter of hours if necessary. The emergency plan calls for activation of transformers at the Polish-Lithuanian border, converting the country’s HVDC link to an AC interconnection, and provision of extra frequency regulation via plants in Sweden and Finland.

Juozaitis says the fact that European grid operators fast-tracked and completed Ukraine’s synchronization within one month of Russia’s

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• SDG 13: Climate Action
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

The article discusses the efforts of the Baltic countries (Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia) to cut their electrical ties to Russia and strengthen their power grids. This aligns with SDG 7, which aims to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. It also relates to SDG 9, as it involves the development of infrastructure to support the transition to clean energy sources. Additionally, the article mentions the synchronization of the Baltic grid with the continental European grid, which connects to SDG 11’s goal of creating sustainable cities and communities. The focus on reducing dependence on Russia’s electricity grid also has implications for SDG 16, as it involves strengthening institutions and reducing vulnerabilities to external influences. Finally, the article touches on the importance of grid stability in the face of potential disruptions, which relates to SDG 13’s goal of taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 7.2: Increase the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
• SDG 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure.
• SDG 11.1: Ensure access for all to adequate, safe, and affordable housing and basic services.
• SDG 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning.
• SDG 16.6: Develop effective, accountable, and transparent institutions at all levels.

Based on the article’s content, the targets mentioned above can be identified. The Baltic countries are working towards increasing the share of renewable energy in their energy mix by reducing their dependence on Russia’s electricity grid and developing their own sustainable power generation sources. They are also investing in infrastructure upgrades to ensure reliable and resilient power grids. The synchronization of the Baltic grid with the continental European grid aims to improve access to adequate and safe energy services for all. Additionally, the efforts to strengthen institutions and reduce vulnerabilities to external influences align with the target of developing effective and transparent institutions.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Percentage of renewable energy in the Baltic countries’ energy mix
• Investment in infrastructure upgrades for power grids
• Number of synchronous condensers installed in the Baltic countries
• Reduction in dependence on Russia’s electricity grid
• Progress in synchronizing the Baltic grid with the continental European grid

The article does not explicitly mention specific indicators, but the above indicators can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets. Monitoring the percentage of renewable energy in the Baltic countries’ energy mix will indicate progress towards SDG 7.2. Tracking investment in infrastructure upgrades for power grids will provide insights into progress towards SDG 9.1. The number of synchronous condensers installed in the Baltic countries can serve as an indicator of efforts to improve grid stability and resilience. Reduction in dependence on Russia’s electricity grid can be measured by analyzing changes in energy imports and exports. Finally, progress in synchronizing the Baltic grid with the continental European grid can be assessed based on the timeline and milestones achieved.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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Source: spectrum.ieee.org

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