A Bespoke Frequency Response Service suitable for delivery by Flywheel Energy Storage Systems

With National Grid ESO introducing a suite of new Frequency Response Services for the GB electricity market, there is an opportunity to allow alternative energy storage systems to participate in the frequency response market on a level they have previously been able to do due to lack of energy capacity, degradation effects or other characteristics that restrict their ability to provide such services. In this study, the effects of varying the response envelope of the frequency response service on the performance of a standalone Flywheel Energy Storage System is assessed through year-long simulations in MATLAB/Simulink. In doing so, a new Frequency Response Service that would allow Flywheels and other high power, low energy storage devices to participate in the frequency response market as standalone systems is designed. This results in a 20C FESS achieving a 95% availability over the course of a year of operation, representing a excellent level of performance under existing market conditions. This work shows that a far wider range of energy storage mediums have the capability to provide meaningful contributions to grid frequency control than previously assumed.