AEMO has published the 2022 Victorian Annual Planning Report (VAPR), assessing the performance of Victoria’s electricity transmission network, along with the challenges and investment opportunities in the next 10 years.
As Victoria’s transmission planner, AEMO prepares the VAPR with insights from the Integrated System Plan and key studies, including system performance, supply reliability, network capability and emerging development needs to deliver net economic benefits and lower costs for consumers.
AEMO Group Manager Victorian Planning, Nicola Falcon, said that Victoria’s energy landscape continues to transform, driven by the growth in large-scale renewable generation and distributed energy resources, and the withdrawal of synchronous generation.
“Victoria’s transmission network remained largely secure and met reliability needs in 2021-22, despite the continued rapid transformation to a power system with higher levels of renewable energy,” Ms Falcon said.
“Consumers’ rooftop solar systems helped drive the fourth consecutive minimum operational demand record during the day, hitting a record low of 2,333 megawatts (MW) on 28 November 2021, 196 MW below the previous record set last year.
“Further, increases in generation on the distribution network caused reverse energy flows at 15 terminal stations, up from nine in 2020-21,” she said.
In the last 12 months, 2.4 gigawatts (GW) of large-scale solar and wind projects have connected in Victoria, increasing the total installed generation capacity to 18.6 GW, with renewables now exceeding coal and gas generation capacity.
“Targeted and timely investment in transmission infrastructure is required to provide consumers with the most efficient energy outcomes that leverage the geographic diversity of renewable resources, while adapting to the newly emerging technical characteristics of the power system,” Ms Falcon said.
The geographic location of supply has shifted from the east of the state, where large brown coal generators in the Latrobe Valley exists towards the west, where the wind and solar resources are abundant.
“The network to the state’s west is being utilised above and beyond it’s intended design, which has constrained renewable generators in the short-term, and introduced the need for major transmission projects, such as Western Renewables Link and VNI West,” Ms Falcon said.
“To meet the forecast future needs of the system, AEMO is progressing a suite of projects across the state through its Transmission Development Plan for Victoria, and the Victorian Government’s Renewable Energy Zone Development Plan.
“These investments act to strengthen the system and reduce overall costs to consumers by unlocking lower-cost generation supplies, enhancing competition, and improving the efficiency of resource sharing between neighbouring regions,” she said.
ENDS