Following successful tests by energy company Eesti Energia and transmission system operator Elering AS, the 74 MW »Sopi« solar power plant in Estonia has been prequalified to provide 30 MW of negative aFRR control energy and 45 MW of negative mFRR control energy. This was announced by the energy company, which operates in the Baltic States and Poland. The automatic frequency restoration reserve (aFRR) compensates for minor system imbalances and is deployed automatically as needed. The manual frequency restoration reserve (mFRR) compensates for larger system imbalances and is deployed manually as needed to replace the aFRR. This makes Sopi the largest solar park in the Baltic States to be officially approved for participation in both control energy markets, according to Eesti Energia. The Sopi solar park is operated by Enefit Green, a subsidiary of Eesti Energia.
According to Kristjan Kuhi, Member of the Management Board of Eesti Energia, this achievement marks a significant step in integrating renewable energy into frequency markets, which is crucial for maintaining grid stability in the Baltic electricity system. »The prequalification of large-scale renewable energy production units for frequency markets proves that wind and solar power plants can also provide frequency reserves—something that has traditionally been the domain of dispatchable power plants,« Kuhi says. »The Sopi Solar Park is part of our Virtual Power Plant, which integrates various production and consumption assets and enables real-time frequency control.«
According to Rainer Tammus, Head of Renewable Energy Project Development and Implementation at Enefit Green, the prequalification of the Sopi solar park for frequency markets marks a significant milestone for the entire renewable energy sector. »This demonstrates that solar parks can also be part of a flexible and digitally managed power system. The plant is capable of providing the system operator with the flexibility needed for rapid load adjustments, contributing to grid balancing in both medium- and short-notice markets. Our goal is to make renewable energy not only clean, but also reliable and supportive of system stability.«
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