Shijiazhuang, China (ANTARA\/Xinhua-AsiaNet)- Recently, an \u201cextreme\nchallenge\u201d for power grid security concluded successfully. As the 35 kV\ncollector line of the Liuqing Wind Farm was energized and ran stably for\nover three hours, Hebei Power Grid\u2019s first grid-forming wind farm\nstation-level black start test succeeded. This marks a functional\nupgrade for wind farms - under grid fault and blackout scenarios, a wind\nfarm can start autonomously and provide local support, becoming an\nimportant force for rapid grid restoration.<\/p>\n
The so-called \u201cblack start\u201d is a key technology for large power grid\nsecurity. In simple terms, it refers to the grid\u2019s ability, after a\nlarge-scale blackout caused by a fault, to re-establish voltage and\nrestore supply using its own sources without relying on external grid\npower. It is often described as the \u201cspark\u201d for restarting the grid.<\/p>\n
For a long time, conventional wind turbines have been\n\u201cgrid-following\u201d devices, requiring voltage support from the external\ngrid. Once the grid loses power, turbines shut down and can only wait\nfor other sources such as hydropower and thermal power to \u201ccome to the\nrescue.\u201d By the end of September 2026, wind and solar new energy\ninstalled capacity in the Hebei Southern Power Grid reached 59.23\nmillion kilowatts, over 61% of the region\u2019s total, making new energy the\ndominant source. With rapid growth of new energy in Hebei\u2019s grid,\ntapping wind farms\u2019 potential to restore nearby supply is strategically\nsignificant for enhancing grid response under extreme scenarios.<\/p>\n
Grid-forming wind turbines, paired with energy storage, can\nautonomously establish voltage and frequency. Even in a complete\nblackout, they can self-start like an independent source and drive other\nequipment in the station to gradually resume operation.<\/p>\n
Before the test, the State Grid Hebei Electric Power Research\nInstitute\u2019s technical team built a high-precision simulation model,\nsimulated complex conditions, and repeatedly verified and screened risks\nin key stages such as voltage establishment, grid-connection impact, and\nstable load carrying. At the site, using advanced grid-forming\nwind-storage integrated technology, the energy storage equipment helped\nthe turbines autonomously establish voltage and successfully energized\nthe 35 kV collector line. Over the next three-plus hours, the equipment\nran smoothly, achieving the goal of a single grid-forming turbine\ndriving the restart of the entire wind farm.<\/p>\n
The test\u2019s success means Hebei\u2019s black-start power source layout has\nbeen continuously optimized. In addition to existing centralized sources\nlike pumped-storage hydropower, wind turbines have been added as local\nemergency restoration resources. This not only strengthens the defense\nline for grid safety under high shares of new energy but also opens a\nnew technical path for rapid supply restoration under future fault\nscenarios, providing a replicable engineering sample for high-share new\nenergy load areas in North China.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/hebei-power-grids-wind-farm-station-level-black-start-test-succeeds-1792669814", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }