RWE has outlined plans to utilize its 302MW Amrumbank West offshore wind farm to help balance Germany’s power grid, providing system-stabilising services starting in 2025.
The company will offer a secondary reserve, also known as an automatic frequency restoration reserve, to the grid. The transmission system operator TenneT recently granted pre-qualification for a 60MW capacity from the wind farm to participate in these auctions.
Secondary reserves are essential for maintaining the grid frequency at 50 Hertz, working in tandem with primary and minute reserves to prevent potential grid failures. For participation in the auctions, the wind farm must be able to reduce its capacity by the required 60MW and activate the reduction within five minutes.
Amrumbank West, located around 37 kilometers west of the North Frisian island of Amrum in the German North Sea, will be RWE’s first offshore wind farm to provide such grid stabilisation services. The 80-turbine wind farm has a total capacity of 302MW.
RWE’s new service will begin in the first quarter of 2025, with the company planning to market this secondary reserve through daily balancing energy auctions.
RWE said that from then on, Amrumbank West will not only supply green electricity but also contribute to the stability of the German power grid. In addition to this, the company plans to qualify more RWE wind and solar farms for the secondary reserve, and will extend the service to external clients.
