Hybrid substation links new PV plant with repowered wind farm
WPD has commissioned the 53MWp Gerbstedt solar park, its first project to connect wind and solar at a single grid point.
The company said the PV plant joins the repowered eight-turbine Gerbstedt wind farm already feeding power through WPD’s own substation.
Construction of the solar park began in February and was carried out by bejulo.
WPD said almost 90,000 modules were installed on a 54-hectare site and connected via 12 central inverter stations before transmission to the substation eight kilometres away.
It added that combined wind and solar capacity exceeds the theoretical grid limit, with wind receiving priority and a higher-level park controller regulating solar output.
The company said opposing wind and solar generation profiles enable optimal, grid-friendly use of renewable capacity.
WPD project manager Jan Wyndorps said: “We are pleased that we have implemented our first major hybrid project without any problems and on schedule.”
He said: “With the connection of two strong wpd projects to our hybrid substation, we can feed the CO2-free energy into the existing power grid in an economically sensible and efficient way.”
