Rassau Grid Services

Rassau Grid Services is a synchronous condenser project located in Wales which is designed to provide grid stability by increasing network inertia. The project is currently under construction and is on track to reach operations by October 2021.

The Rassau Grid Services project supports the UK’s transition to net-zero by providing stability to the grid which is increasingly supplied by sources of intermittent wind and solar power. The growth in renewables combined with retirement of coal and gas generation is creating a renaissance opportunity for synchronous condensers, one of the first electrical technologies. Coal and gas-fired power stations have inherent stabilising qualities which wind turbines and solar PV lack, creating urgent need for new infrastructure that can perform these critical grid services. Synchronous condensers such as the Rassau Grid Services project provide grid stability by increasing network inertia, being the resistance of the power system to changes in frequency.

The project has secured a 6-year fixed-revenue contract as part of the National Grid Stability Pathfinder Programme. The synchronous condenser equipment is supplied by Siemens.