Project description

Title: German–Chinese Platform for Renewable Energies – Wind Energy (WERT – Wind Environment Research & Training Center)
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU)
Country: China
Lead executing agency: State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC)
Overall term: 2008 to 2011

Context

Electricity in China is primarily coal-generated. However, the Chinese Government wants to use wind energy as a clean and economic alternative. Due to the lack of incentives and the technical problems of grid integration, there are often considerable delays before wind energy plants can be taken online. There is a lack of adequate standards for grid feed-in or grid planning that takes account the wind parks’ feed-in patterns, and there is a shortage of qualified staff.

Objective

The technical capacities required to ensure long-term and efficient grid feed-in of electricity from wind energy are improved.

Approach

The cooperation partner in China is the China Electric Power Research Institute (CEPRI). The consulting firm DECON (Deutsche Energie-Consult Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH ) is carrying out the project on behalf of the German partner. The project focuses on testing and standardisation of grid connections for wind energy plants, and on higher technical education.

Since November 2008 there have been numerous conferences, seminars and workshops, plus a study trip looking at the technical and regulatory requirements for grid integration of wind energy. As many as 450 specialists from European utility companies, grid operators, the wind energy industry and academia, and policy makers have taken part in these events.

Nordex set up a test and training wind turbine in Hebei Province and connected it to the grid. At the same time, a mobile test lab from the German company FGH was taken into operation to carry out low-voltage fault ride through (LVRT) tests, and technical training measures were carried out for CEPRI engineers as an accompanying measure.

In addition, an online training platform was developed to teach engineers the basics of wind energy. This is an integral part of a holistic learning strategy that includes online, in-class and practical phases.

Results achieved so far

The technical training and management dialogues provided a key impetus for the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) to build the National Center for Testing and Research for Wind, Solar and Storage Technology in Zhangbei. The Center serves testing, licensing, research and training purposes and, in particular, the testing of regionally adapted grid regulation strategies.

With support from the project, CEPRI was able to draw up the first binding Grid Connection Guidelines for Wind Parks for the area covered by the SGCC – some 80 % of the Chinese grid. Testing of the grid properties of wind turbines, made possible by the use of the mobile test lab, has established the basis on which national grid standards for wind energy can be introduced. The first LVRT certification took place in October 2010. This laid the foundation for guaranteeing grid stability, even when a high proportion of wind energy is fed in.

The internet-based training platform is currently being piloted by universities and CEPRI.

Further information

• Local project website
  Wind Environment Research & Training Center -> China Wind Power Center (CWPC)
  http://www.cwpc.cn