Case Study with Ecoelectrica in Puerto Rico

ABSTRACT

In the power generation business today, power producers are operating in uncertain times, as traditional operating models are upended by new sources of energy, particularly from wind & solar power and due to their cyclic and unpredictable nature of power generation.

Public policies pursuing energy transition goals push combined cycle power plants (CCs) towards
a flexible operation. CCs are forced to operate ramping loads up and down to accommodate intermittent renewable power inputs into the grid. The toll on facilities’ equipment endangers a traditional, and still top-of-mind industry goal: reliability.

Maintaining the grid reliability, stability, and resilience of an island’s power infrastructure is more
difficult, compared to places like the US mainland.

On November 14th, 2022, a fault on a 230 kV line shocked the Puerto Rico grid, taking 3 power units out of service on the island. The impact on EcoEléctrica’s combustion turbines caused 300 MW/min load swings. In previous situations, drums tripped dragging the grid with
them. However, ADEX ensured drum level stability, during and after the incident, by self-tuning changing operational scenarios in real-time,

These new scenarios are simply not addressable with only manual interventions, or with conventional control tools. They show a lack of speed, accuracy, and stability when driving the plant under the dynamic requirements of the System Operator.

Self-tuning Control Systems are continually, and in real-time, driving processes to optimal setpoints in a desired, fast, precise, and stable way with no human intervention. These elements are jointly increasing the autonomous skills of the plant.