• About
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Events
Sunday, June 15, 2025
Newsletter
SUBSCRIBE
  • News
    • Contracts awarded
    • Open tenders and opportunities
    • Events
  • Features
  • Water
  • Wastewater
  • Gas
  • Electricity
  • Civil Construction
  • Events
No Results
View All Results
  • News
    • Contracts awarded
    • Open tenders and opportunities
    • Events
  • Features
  • Water
  • Wastewater
  • Gas
  • Electricity
  • Civil Construction
  • Events
No Results
View All Results
Home News

$2.2 million for simulation tool to accelerate grid connections

by Annabelle Powell
August 24, 2021
in Electricity, News, Projects
Reading Time: 2 mins read
A A
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), on behalf of the Australian Government, has announced $2.23 million in funding to the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) to create a connections simulation tool to help streamline the integration of new grid connections into energy networks. 

AEMO has identified the cloud-based connections simulation tool as a critical solution to assist project developers to more efficiently prepare their applications for projects, such as new solar or wind farms, and reduce the time to connect them to the National Electricity Market (NEM). 

AEMO is developing the connections simulation tool to allow project developers and their partners and electricity networks to rapidly test and refine their renewable energy plant and project configurations using the same detailed wide-area power system simulations as used within AEMO, while preserving the confidentiality of the model data.

In the past four years, AEMO has worked with developers and network businesses to connect 121 new generation projects. 

Despite this growth, there are 97 gigawatts (GW) of proposed generation projects, double today’s entire NEM capacity. This includes 46 GW of wind, 33 GW of solar and 10 GW of hydro.

The $12.95 million project will be the first step of a staged approach for the delivery of AEMO’s Australian Energy Simulation Centre, which was investigated through an ARENA-funded feasibility study in 2019. 

The connections simulation tool is a critical foundational operating platform to achieve AEMO’s overall objective to efficiently manage a large number of grid connection applications from renewable energy developers.

ARENA CEO, Darren Miller, said the development of the connections simulation tool would help to integrate and fast-track renewable energy into the energy system.

“Australia’s energy system is evolving rapidly with most of the growth in generation coming from rooftop solar and large scale solar and wind.

“The proposed connections simulation tool will assist large scale developers by providing a detailed source of energy data and modelling that incorporates our electricity systems, thereby allowing them to accelerate their development process and manage potential risk before going through the formal grid connection process.”

Testing will soon commence with industry participants on a working prototype, followed by a staged rollout of the connection simulation tool. The first major release is planned for the end of 2021.

AEMO will work collaboratively with industry and trial users, and incorporate stakeholder feedback at each stage.

Related Posts

AS4044:2024 sets the benchmark for critical power systems. Image: Century Yuasa

Compliance for critical power

by Katie Livingston
June 13, 2025

As the demand for resilient power solutions grows, ensuring battery charger safety, compliance and reliability for stationary applications is critical....

Inflow and infiltration can be difficult to tackle, but every little bit helps. Image: ISC Services

The flow-on effect

by Katie Livingston
June 13, 2025

Wastewater networks are home to a plethora of assets, often of varying ages and materials, so tackling inflow and infiltration...

Image: Maryna/stock.adobe.com

Landmark projects to be unveiled at Converge 2025

by Sarah MacNamara
June 13, 2025

Tier 1 contractors are set to take centre stage at Converge 2025, with the country’s most ambitious utility, infrastructure and...

Please login to join discussion

Read our magazine

Join our newsletter

View our privacy policy, collection notice and terms and conditions to understand how we use your personal information.
Utility is the title of choice for decision makers at all levels of water and energy utilities, as well as other major players like consulting engineers and first-tier contractors. Utility is integrated across print and online, and explores the biggest news and issues across the utility industry. It is Australia’s only dedicated utility magazine, and covers all areas of the utility sector, including water and sewer, gas, electricity, communications and the NBN.

Subscribe to our newsletter

View our privacy policy, collection notice and terms and conditions to understand how we use your personal information.

About Utility

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Digital magazine
  • Events
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Collection Notice
  • Privacy Policy

Popular Topics

  • News
  • Water
  • Electricity
  • Projects
  • Water and Wastewater Treatment
  • Spotlight
  • Civil Construction
  • Renewable Energy

© 2025 All Rights Reserved. All content published on this site is the property of Prime Creative Media. Unauthorised reproduction is prohibited

No Results
View All Results
NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE
  • News
    • Contracts awarded
    • Open tenders and opportunities
    • Events
  • Features
  • Water
  • Wastewater
  • Gas
  • Electricity
  • Civil Construction
  • Events
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Contact

© 2025 All Rights Reserved. All content published on this site is the property of Prime Creative Media. Unauthorised reproduction is prohibited