ABB Grid Code Compliance solutions
Empowering safer, more efficient and sustainable power grids and services
Grid code compliance: a definition
Grid code compliance refers to following technical regulations and standards established by regulatory authorities and grid operators for all entities connected to the electrical grid, including power plants, transmission system operators, and large consumers like data-centers.
These rules are designed to maintain grid stability, reliability, and safety, ensuring that electricity supply meets demand without interruptions.
Staying updated goes well beyond a tick in a checkbox – it is an essential milestone for any power generation or high energy consumer facility to stay operational and avoid penalties.
Regional power regulations and transmission operator requirements vary across markets, reflecting local regulatory frameworks and grid conditions. For example, Europe, North America, and Asia each have distinct requirements that impact project design and operation.
Regulatory requirements evolve at a rapid pace and keeping up demands time and expertise. ABB’s grid code compliance services and grid-compliance ready products are designed to help your teams go through the certification process fast and smoothly, while giving you the peace of mind of relying on simulation and technology experts with hundreds of projects achieved.
The cost of non compliance
<p>In most parts of the world, no compliance means no business or massive fines. Grid code compliance is non-negotiable for power generation and industrial facilities as their operations have a massive impact on the stability and resilience of any power grid, while for electrical equipment manufacturers like generators, being able to prove a grid-compliance ready technology, is a competitive advantage.</p> <p>Wherever your company operates in the energy space, ABB helps navigate complex grid regulatory landscapes to ensure fast and smooth compliance, avoid penalties and contribute to a stable and resilient power grid.</p>
Avoid production losses and penalties
<p>Non-compliance can lead to hefty fines and legal issues</p>Reliability and stability
<p>Compliance means a stable and reliable energy supply, fewer disruptions, and consistent performance.</p>Commercial risk protection
<p>Non-compliance can lead to hefty fines and legal issues. Investing in compliance upfront saves you from costly penalties later</p>Reputation and trust
<p>For manufacturers, compliance shows your commitment to industry standards and best practices, enhancing your reputation and building trust with customers and partners.</p>ABB GRID CODE COMPLIANCE SERVICES
The grid code compliance process is made of several complex tasks, from generating accurate mathematical models of single pieces of equipment or of the overall plant all the way to demonstrating that simulations and studies reflect the actual system behavior.
To prove compliance, companies must
Provide transmission system operators (TSOs) with validated simulation models, digital representations of the electrical behavior of the equipment used by TSOs to test grid reaction
Produce Grid Connection Studies, a report of high-fidelity computer-aided simulations, preliminarily demonstrating system compliance
Perform final compliance testing, comprising of complex and highly specific site tests to certify the actual compliance of the equipment with the specific grid code requirements
ABB provides advanced grid code compliance services and solutions designed to simplify certification and improve grid resilience. Relying on a partner with deep modelling and simulations expertise and an inner knowledge of most electrical and automation technology will simplify the grid code compliance certification process through
State-of-the-art simulation software for advanced plant modelling (PowerFactory, PSS/E, PSCAD, and more)
Deep electrical and control equipment knowhow
Own equipment with validated models
Vast and global experience in grid connection studies for any grid code
ABB grid code compliance team can be your partner across all phases of the certification allowing you to minimize effort and costs.
THE THREE PHASES OF THE PROJECT
<p>With you across all steps leading to grid code compliance.</p>
Mathematical model creation and validation
Accuracy and knowledge: the foundational stone for success
At ABB, we understand that mathematical modeling and simulations must be specific to each element being certified, requiring a 360-degree knowledge of technology and of advanced modeling and simulations software technology to help validate performance under multiple operating scenarios.
ABB modelling and simulations accuracy comes from a combination of decades in manufacturing electrical and control equipment, a deep in-house knowledge in advanced and customized modeling and grid codes, and high-end simulations software.
In addition, ABB’s own products & systems come equipped with pre-validated models.
Model development to ensure accurate & reliable studies
- From basic steady-state models to detailed user defined dynamic models
- Custom modelling of AC/DC converters, OLTCs, wind turbines, PV inverters, electrolyzers
- Modelling of plant protections
- Modelling of power plant controllers (PPCs) logics
Model validation - Verification of accuracy
- Final model validation of the equipment for certification purposes
- Final grid code compliance achievement
- Validate the simulation models according to the measurements obtained during the physical compliance tests and provide final compliance report
Grid connection studies
ABB supports in the crucial stage of simulating grid code-specific contingencies and evaluating adherence to connection requirements. These detailed grid code compliance studies are essential to ensure that the system’s behavior under a variety of scenarios aligns with regulatory expectations.
This phase is the core of the grid code compliance process and results in a report for TSO authorities thar preliminarily demonstrate the system compliance.
ABB experts deliver detailed grid code compliance studies to evaluate stability, load flow, and transient performance. Our reports include key pointers on
- Load-flow
- Power quality (harmonics and flickering)
- Small-signal stability studies (setpoint variations, eigenvalue studies, small network voltage and frequency variations)
- Transient stability studies (large grid frequency and voltage variations, FRT, ARC, load shedding simulations)
Compliance testing and supervision
On-site or remote commissioning & compliance tests services
Modeling and simulations are powerful tools for preliminary evaluation of the system compliance to grid codes, but Compliance Testing has the final say.
The third phase of the process, the grid code compliance testing, confirms on the real system the behavior predicted in the study.
The testing procedures vary from one country to another and typically cover voltage regulation, reactive power, PSS damping, frequency regulation, and protection concepts.
With extensive experience in on-site or remote commissioning and grid code compliance consultancy services, ABB offers grid code compliance consultancy services to support certification across geographies.
ABB field service engineers tackle projects in the most diverse geographies, supported by advanced grid code compliance software to ensure accuracy and efficiency.
THE BENEFIT OF RELYING ON SIMULATION AND TECHNOLOGY EXPERTS
Minimized effort and costs
ABB extensive in-house knowledge of grid codes, simulations, and mathematical modelling and inner knowledge of technology makes the grid code compliance certification a smooth process.
Accuracy and speed
As technology partner with thousands of electrical and automation products in our portfolio, ABB ensures that simulation models faithfully represent real equipment, thus expediting the whole process.
A subject matter expert to rely on
ABB supports through the entire grid connection project, from the application phase to the Initial Operational Notification and Final Operational Notification (FON) awards. We help companies understand grid code requirements and facilitate discussions with Transmission System Operators (TSOs) and Distribution System Operators (DSOs).
Experience and full project management
The grid code compliance certification process requires a combination of technology, power system simulation and mathematical modelling expertise and real project management. ABB grid code compliance teams can take care of all phases of the process while helping your team increase their knowledge.
A solution for every part of the energy ecosystem
<p>A top priority to contribute to grid stability and resilience. Grid code compliance is a mandatory certification process for utilities operating both renewable and traditional power generation plants, for companies involved in the production of electrical equipment and for high energy consumers, such as hydrogen product plants and data centers, whose operations may impact grid stability and reliability.</p>