Added value of integrated substations in improving social acceptance of power system infrastructure

摘要

The Netherlands is a densely populated country. To meet the growing demand for electric energy there is a need to expand the transmission grid capacity in various locations, in particular in urban areas. Social acceptance is an increasingly important factor: most people accept the need for an electricity system, but most don’t want to have it built in their backyard (NIMBY).One of the lessons learnt from major projects in recent years is that the idea of building an “invisible” grid is wishful thinking. For overhead lines a new regulation has been laid down in the Netherlands. It states that the Transmission System Operator (TenneT TSO B.V.) can build new 380-kV overhead lines on the condition that the total length of the overhead high-voltage lines shall not be increased. This regulation results in the upgrading of existing lines, increased use of cables and replacement of lines with cables in the 110-kV and 150-kV grids.For substations, no regulation exists as yet. TenneT wants to be prepared for the discussion about this subject, however, and started a survey on how to deal with stakeholder needs in relation to substations.The most important stakeholders in this discussion are the asset owner and the local authorities that represent the community. In general, the acceptance of substations in terms of landscape integration will increase if alternatives are available, especially if some of these alternatives offer added value (through public functions) or are better suited to the surrounding area. If TenneT can show the various stakeholders that several alternatives have been investigated and can convince them that TenneT really wants to act as a “good neighbour“, it will be able to reduce the initial resistance. It is therefore important to anticipate these discussions and to introduce feasible solutions and alternatives for various landscape types (including urban areas).The aim of the study was to offer more options and possibilities for substations in order to increase acceptance by local authorities without the main company values of the TSO being affected. Various issues were taken into account, like environmental considerations (e.g. SF6), land use, electrical safety, reliability, constraints during operation, possibilities for future expansions, etc. Employees from various departments were involved: besides planners, architects and engineers, almost all other disciplines of TenneT and Movares contributed by participating in the discussions as well.The study also addressed the future renovation/expansion of existing high-voltage substations in the Netherlands, combined with their integration into complex public infrastructures.The result is a catalogue or sketchbook describing concepts and practical examples of how to integrate the electrical installation into its environment. Various types of landscape and their limiting conditions are described and alternatives are compared. The catalogue will be used as a guide when TenneT will be proactively looking for new substation locations and is moreover intended to make people realise that there are more options than just the “standard substation”. This catalogue is also to be used for future projects to determine the best possible design in cooperation with local authorities. It is intended to be a source of inspiration for the careful integration of vital infrastructure. By taking the surrounding area into account, TenneT is showing how highly it values corporate social responsibility (CSR).This document gives an overview of the Dutch conditions and considerations which apply to the integration of substations into the surrounding area. All aspects related to the design of a substation have been considered and are illustrated by a number of examples.