Carbon Trust launched the “The Integrator” program in 2021 to maximize the contribution of offshore wind to a decarbonized energy future. The Integrator is a joint industry program financed by a large industry consortium, consisting of Vattenfall, EnBW, Equinor, Total Energies, SSE and Scottish Power.

In the framework of the Integrator program, Energynautics together with UK-based Frazer Nash Consultancy (FNC) were commissioned to undertake the Ancillary Services from Offshore Wind project. The objective was to identify high system value ancillary services which offshore wind farms are well suited to deliver in the current and future grid.

All the ancillary services (Frequency, Voltage and Operational Regulation and System Restoration) available in the UK and Germany were analyzed in terms of technical, economic and regulatory aspects, involving country comparison when applicable. System needs and trends were analyzed to identify ancillary services which will be needed in a future high wind deployment scenario. This involved regulatory and policy review for barrier and market design change analysis. Interviews were conducted with TSOs, OEMs, regulators and developers aimed at finding the need and application cases including technologies at R&D phase. Enabling technologies differentiating in technology readiness level for grid connection types and co-location options were investigated with respect to prequalification requirements, cost and service maturity aspects.

A cost-benefit analysis was conducted for the most promising technology upgrade and colocation options. The study concluded which ancillary services can yield the largest revenue with taking technology upgrade costs into account in each country respectively.

• Read more about this project in our project reference.