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The world’s first batch of grid-forming energy storage plants has passed grid-connection tests in China, a crucial step in integrating renewables into power systems. Huawei’s Grid-Forming Smart Renewable Energy Generator Solution achieved this milestone, demonstrating its successful large-scale application.

Since March 2024, CR Power* (25 MW/100 MWh, Hami, wind+ESS, string architecture) and CGDG* (50 MW/100 MWh, Golmud, Qinghai, multi-energy) have completed groundbreaking performance tests of 100 MWh grid-forming energy storage plants with the guidance and support of local energy bureaus, SGCC*, and China Electric Power Research Institute. ZDI* (6 MW/24 MWh) also completed such tests in Ngari Prefecture, where the power grid is weak and under conditions of high altitude and low temperature.

As power systems shift toward low-carbon sources, the high penetration of renewable energy and power electronics equipment will impact the stability of power grids worldwide. In order to achieve sustainable development of renewables, many countries and regions must improve the grid integration performance of PV, wind, energy storage system (ESS), and other power systems that utilize power electronic equipment, enabling such equipment to have the same characteristics as traditional synchronous generators. Huawei Digital Power is dedicated to enhancing the safety and stability of renewable integration by combining digital and power electronics technologies, leveraging technical experience, and collaborating with global power companies, grid enterprises, and electricity providers.

The CR Power* 25 MW/100 MWh grid-forming energy storage project has successfully passed unit, site, and system-level tests, including high/low voltage disturbance, phase angle jump, low-frequency oscillation, damping performance, and grid following/grid-forming mode switching tests, making it the world’s first of its kind. These tests have confirmed the ESS’s ability to operate stably and provide support during stable/transient states in utility-scale projects. The project also completed the world’s first black start test for string grid-forming energy storage in on-grid scenarios, reducing the black start time to minutes, compared to several hours or even days with traditional solutions.