XFLEX Hydro

Vogelgrun is a 142 MW run-of-river hydropower plant in France, situated near the border with Germany along the river Rhine. The plant has four low head Kaplan turbines, in service since 1959, and during XFLEX HYDRO one of the units will be hybridised with a battery. Complementing the turbine’s operations, the battery system will add energy storage to share response capability with the hydraulic unit, and use a master control to optimise both flexibility and wear and tear effects.

View our video about the Vogelgrun project.

Objectives

Hybridise the turbine unit with a battery of suitable energy capacity and power converter rating, to improve capability of providing primary frequency response;
Contribute to frequency response with high-dynamic response;
Significantly reduce turbine wear and tear and quantify it;
Evaluate the possibility of upgrading fixed speed double-regulated Kaplan turbine units by enhanced variable speed single-regulated propeller unit.

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Key Tasks

Initial studies – analysis and specification of battery system
Adaptation – Smart Power Plant Supervisor (SPPS)
Battery Management System (BMS)/ Energy Management System (EMS) Controller development
Installation and operation
Assess implementation of Full Size Frequency Converter (FSFC) in lab test simulation environment
Conclusions, data analysis and lessons learnt

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Partners involved in this demonstration

full-scale apllications

During the project, the flexibility technologies will be trialled at 7 demonstration sites. These are located at existing European hydropower stations. Each XFLEX HYDRO demonstration site will test a different technological configuration, installed together with the Smart Power Plant Supervisor in every case.

BATTERY/ TURBINE HYBRID

Vogelgrun is a 142 MW run-of-river hydropower plant in France, situated near the border with Germany along the river Rhine.

ENHANCED FIXED SPEED

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HYDRAULIC SHORT CIRCUIT

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HYDRAULIC SHORT CIRCUIT

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VARIABLE SPEED (DFIM)

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VARIABLE SPEED (FSFC)

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