The control of frequency on the power system is managed through the dispatch of frequency control ancillary services (FCAS). FCAS is allocated in the NEM according to standards specified by the Reliability Panel. AEMO procures FCAS to ensure that when an event occurs on the power system (e.g. loss of the largest generator or loss of an interconnector and subsequent islanding of a region) frequency is maintained within these standards.
Constraint equations are used by AEMO to determine the amount of FCAS required for each of the 8 services. Constraints are used to specify global requirements, local requirements for one or more regions, and for co-optimisation of local FCAS requirements against interconnector flow in the event of the interconnector being declared a credible contingency risk.
For further information on this document, please contact: Ben Blake, Electricity System Operations Planning and Performance.