The Australian Renewable Energy Agency has announced a significant funding boost of up to $15 million for the Australian Energy Market Operator.
This investment aims to fast-track the implementation of AEMO’s Engineering Roadmap, a crucial initiative designed to enhance operational capacity for renewable generation in the National Electricity Market.
According to ARENA, the funding will support three key areas:
Accelerating operational readiness for major power system changes expected in the next two years, with the goal of reducing reliance on fossil-fuelled generators for system stability.
Developing foundational enablers for the energy transition, including governance frameworks, systems, and processes to support the increasing consumer uptake of rooftop solar, batteries, and electric vehicles.
Providing long-range visibility to investors on emerging power system requirements and opportunities for various technologies to meet these needs.
According to ARENA, the Engineering Roadmap is a proactive approach to address potential engineering challenges before they manifest operationally, ensuring secure operation with high renewable penetration.
Recent data from AEMO reveals that in 2023, the instantaneous penetration of renewables in the NEM reached a new record of 72.1 per cent. As the NEM transitions towards a higher share of renewable electricity from inverter-based resources like wind and solar, the requirements for managing the grid securely and reliably continue to evolve.
The Engineering Roadmap seeks to prepare for the challenges associated with this transition and ensure that the associated risks are appropriately managed. ARENA’s funding will help AEMO accelerate the delivery of this critical program of work, helping to remove barriers to increasing reliance on renewable electricity.
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