ELECTRIFICATION AND AUTOMATION: the power duo driving VEO’s energy transition efforts
As a system integrator, VEO contributes to the energy transition by enabling its clients’ projects. But how? Jakob Lövdahl, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at VEO, sheds light on how VEO’s expertise and innovative solutions in electrification and automation pave the way for a cleaner and greener future.
Electrification solutions connect renewable energy to the grid
During the last three decades, VEO has connected over 7000 MW of renewable energy, mostly in the form of wind and hydropower, to both regional networks and national grids in its main markets in Norway, Sweden and Finland.
“In 2023, we are expanding our renewable energy portfolio to include solar power. VEO has the necessary expertise and understanding of the energy industry’s unique demands to ensure the successful integration of all types of renewable energy”, Lövdahl states.
The implementation of VEO’s turnkey grid-connection deliveries depends on the network. Substations included in the national grid, for example, are always completely customised. For regional networks, VEO typically utilises its own modular substation concept, which leads to shoter execution times and safer working conditions.
Automation solutions ensure system balancing
“Our automation solutions ensure that the required stabilisation is available when increasing levels of renewable energies are introduced to the grid”.
Renewable energies, especially wind and solar, are inherently fluctuating, which means that a highly flexible balancing power is needed. VEO has been, for example, supplying automation and control systems to Wärtsilä’s power plants since the 1990s; in the last few years at a rate of 1.5 power plant automation system deliveries a week.
“VEO’s control system acts as the brain of a power plant by constantly monitoring the network and processing the data it gathers. Based on this information, the system instructs the plant on when and how to respond to fluctuating demand. This ability to quickly start and stop ensures efficient system balancing, making our control system an important component in the global shift towards sustainable energy”, Lövdahl explains.
VEO not only offers optimal dimensioning of automation and control systems, but also ensures that plants meet the most demanding grid code compliance requirements of today – and tomorrow.
Breakthrough innovation combining hydropower and energy storage
In 2022, VEO’s most recent innovation, the hybrid turbine governor (VEO eHPG), was put into use after several years of R&D work. The governor integrates energy storage and hydropower and will improve the ability of energy companies to meet the evolving requirements of the energy market.
The governor is unique on the hydropower market as it is the first of its kind to genuinely combine the electricity generated in the hydro power generator and an energy storage solution with the frequency reserve regulation. By doing so, the eHPG improves the quality of the electricity and offers valuable grid support. It also significantly prolongs the lifetime of the turbine as mechanical wear decreases.
“We have just seen the VEO eHPG in operational use for the first time, with the commissioning of Kemijoki’s Kurkiaska hydropower plant, and we are thrilled to see that it lives up to the impressive results from the simulations”.
Heat capture to support a decentralised energy system
VEO is also supporting its clients recover excess heat from a wide range of industrial processes, such as datacentres and wastewater treatment plants.
“There are many heat sources from industrial processes which are currently wasted. When recovered, the heat can be fed to local district heating networks and used for heating houses. This is an important step in decentralised heat production and we are delighted to see an increased demand for our automation expertise in this segment”.
Enabling energy transition in a wide range of industries
“It feels great that we can assist clients in a wide range of industries to become more sustainable. By utilising hybrid technologies, for example, we assist our marine clients to run their vessels on stored energy whenever possible.”
VEO is also making contributions to the process industry. A current example is found in Norway, where VEO manages the electrification of a zinc production expansion. This industry is particularly energy-intensive, but once commissioned, the added production will run entirely on renewable energy, with significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to a plant running on fossil fuels.
“We have projects with hydrogen-based technologies in the pipeline, and with our solid experience topped off with our innovative approach, we are perfectly positioned to integrate and optimise any kind of low-emission solutions around our clients’ projects – now and in the future”, Lövdahl concludes.
