Current± Briefings: The emerging inertia market in Britain

As renewable capacity on Britain’s grid continues to grow apace, the need for alternative sources of inertia is becoming increasingly pressing. To manage this, National Grid ESO began running pathfinders a few years ago, with the first projects now coming to fruition.

While some involve innovation new technologies – like Quinbrook’s synchronous condenser or the use of Drax’s Cruachan hydroelectric pumped storage plant – existing energy sources will also be able to contribute thanks to a recent Grid Code modification. GC0137 will allow renewables and inverters to provide inertia using virtual synchronous machine capability.

Following these recent developments, we take a look at what the emerging inertia market is set to look like in the next is our Current± Briefings series, including which technologies are set to come online in the short term, the demand for inertia in the UK, and the potential revenue opportunities it offers for renewables and other energy technologies.