Hybrid plants are regulated by ANEEL

A ANEEL (National Electric Energy Agency) approved this Tuesday (30) the regulations for the operation of UGH (Hybrid Generating Plants) and associated generating plants.

The regulations define the rules for granting these types of projects and for contracting the use of transmission systems, in addition to defining how these plants are charged and the application of legal discounts on tariffs for using the transmission system.

The regulation allows combinations of different generation sources: photovoltaic plants, wind power, large and small hydroelectric plants and thermoelectric plants. Among the advantages listed by the ANEEL, are the complementarity of generation sources, the use of the transmission network in a more efficient and stable manner, the mitigation of commercial risks and savings in the purchase of land and other costs.

The standardization, however, does not establish rules for the formation of hybrid or associated sets using energy storage. According to the Agency, “some contributions were requested to include storage technologies in the composition of hybrid or associated plants. These contributions were not accepted since this topic is being addressed in item 59 of the Regulatory Agenda 2021-2022 of the ANEEL and, therefore, fell outside the scope of CP 061/2020”.

According to Elisa Bastos, the Agency's reporting director on the issue, the measure contributes to the growth of generation capacity with lower investments in network expansion. “The approval of the proposed regulation will be a milestone for the development of hybrid and associated plants, which will provide greater technological diversity, contributing to the modernization of the Brazilian electricity sector,” she said.

“Regulation constitutes an alternative for the efficient use of available resources. The inclusion of these projects in the electrical system can reduce costs and postpone new investments in expansion, especially at connection points with the Basic Network,” he added.

“This regulation represents a qualitative leap in the electricity sector and is now the showcase of our innovation agenda. The Agency is seeking to maintain the modern electricity system in the current context of energy transition and sustainability. Throughout the entire process of developing the regulation, the ANEEL acted with predictability and transparency, qualities that were recently recognized by the OECD”, commented André Pepitone, Director General of ANEEL.

For Márcio Trannin, vice president of ABSOLAR, the measure is favorable for the entire electricity sector. “If a wind project is hybridized with a solar project, the network and transmission lines are optimized to ensure that this line is used for more hours during the day, avoiding unnecessary expenses with the construction of new lines. With the same transmission network, more energy can be generated, reducing the price of energy for the consumer”, he highlights.

“It is a very important step for the Brazilian electricity sector. It was an old demand from investing agents, a global trend and I hope that not only solar, but other technologies will be able to take full advantage of this new regulation, especially because it aims to optimize the country's energy generation and optimized generation means cost savings for the Brazilian consumer”, concludes Trannin.

For Sunlution, a pioneering company in the installation of floating solar generation systems in the country, this is a major step forward, which could change the government's logic in the practices adopted so far in combating the water crisis. Luiz Piauhylino Filho, managing partner of the company, highlights the advantages of the regulation, such as reducing the idle capacity of the hydroelectric system, generating clean and renewable energy and, above all, cheaper energy for the country.

“With the regulations and the experience already acquired in pilot projects, we were able to actually trigger the implementation of large-scale projects in 2022, doubling or even tripling in the coming years”, stated Piauhylino Filho.

In partnership with Companhia Hidrelétrica do Rio São Francisco (Chesf), from the Eletrobrás Group, Sunlution developed four years ago the first Research & Development project that has already implemented floating photovoltaic panels in an area of ​​10 thousand square meters at the Sobradinho Hydroelectric Plant, in the interior of Bahia, currently responsible for generating 1 MWp.

Hydroelectric plants will begin to analyze projects and prioritize the most economically advantageous ones. According to data from the Electricity Trading Chamber (CCEE), Brazil has a 109GW hydroelectric park, which currently operates with an average monthly idle capacity of more than 65 GW. “From an environmental and financial point of view, Brazil was experiencing a real setback and now, with hybridization, this path can be reversed”, adds Piauhylino Filho.

Ongoing projects

Currently, there is a pilot project associated with the concession of the Ventos de São Vicente 8 to 14 wind complex linked to the Sol do Piauí photovoltaic solar plant (68 MW), built by the company Votorantim. The beginning of operation is scheduled for January 2023.

Other projects were also implemented within the scope of the Research and Development program, whose resources are managed by ANEEL:

• UHE Sobradinho + UFV; R&D, PD-00372-9990; installed;
• UHE Porto Primavera 1 + UFV; R&D, PD-00061-0050, PD-00061-0054; installed in 2014;
• HPP Aimorés + UFV; Doce River; R&D, PD-09344-1704;
• HPP Itumbiara + UFV; R&D, PD-00394-1606;
• PCH Santa Marta + UFV; Cemig; R&D, PD-04950-0632;
• EOL Santo Inácio + UFV Flor de Mandacaru; R&D; since 2017.
• Fernando de Noronha; 1992: UTE-diesel + EOL; lightning destroyed the only wind turbine in 2009; restored under the Smart Grid project, PD-00043-0809, PD-00043-0516.

According to ANEEL, hybrid plants have been a reality for the isolated system since 2014, in the auction notices and concessions. The proposals were mostly diesel-powered thermoelectric plants with the addition of another clean generation source, such as wind or solar photovoltaic.

In isolated systems, the main advantages observed are economic benefits in the value of energy; savings in the consumption of fossil fuels, leading to cost reductions with the reimbursement of CCC (Fuel Consumption Account) and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions; and the reduction of dependence on just one energy source (in this case, fossil fuels).