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BLACK START TRIALS Network speaks to Peter Chandler, project lead for the ground-breaking Distributed ReStart project about the challenges it will face as it embarks on live trials this summer. NETWORK / 18 / MARCH 2020 T he NIC-funded Distributed ReStart project aims to provide a world first by coordinating distributed energy resources (DER) to provide a safe and stable Black Start ser - vice in the event of system-wide blackout. It's a bold ambition which departs from traditional reliance on contracts with large power stations to provide Black Start services. And, therefore, it could also be a game changer for the net zero agenda, breaking down one of the final bastions of our Going Live While initial trials will be relatively basic, Chandler keenly anticipates a build up towards some "quite sophisticated" Black Start drills in summer 2021. "June, July time will be the first initial stage of restoration where we will test a generator by applying blocks of demand," says Chandler. "We will load it up to stable load, which is as far as we will go for this initial set of live trials but, as we progress through the next 15 months, we'll undertake various stages of the restoration process, all the way from the initialisation and loading of that generator, through to energising part of the distribution network and linking in some asynchronous technologies further down the chain, such as wind farms and batteries." Trials and tribulations The first live trials for Distributed ReStart will take place at three sites across SPEN's networks – in both Scotland and the North West of England where it owns the Manweb network. The sites, located in varying geographies, offer the opportunity to trial dependence on centralised fossil fuel generation. The three-year Distributed ReStart project is founded on a collaboration between National Grid ESO, Scottish Power Energy Networks (SPEN) and special - ist energy consultancy TNEI. In December 2019, the project team filed its first progress report – a positive document which reported "no unsurmountable barriers" had been identified during proof of concept for its in - novative new approach to Black Start and which announced the scheme would forge ahead with live trials in 2020. Speaking to Network, Dis- tributed ReStart project lead and data and modelling man- ager at National Grid ESO, Peter Chandler sheds more light on these trials and the issues they must overcome to keep moving the project forward. Three sites have already been identified for running a multiplicity of tests and Chan- dler explains that these were carefully selected in order to in- clude a broad range of network characteristics and generation technologies. how a distributed approach to Black Start would work using a range of DERs and other relevant technologies. Two of the sites are in Scot - land and one in the North West. The first planned case study will test how an embedded bio- mass generator responds to the rigours of Black Start while the following trials will use hydro generation and gas plant. "We've got options for these case studies to reach out to the distribution networks to con - nect some of the asynchronous generation," says Chandler. "So, not just the initial self-starting generator technologies – the sec - ondary generators as well. The three case studies we've chosen will utilise a wide diversity of different tech to test out our theories about how distributed Black Start will work in as many practical ways as possible." Getting to the point of run- ning the tests has presented its own hurdles for the project team – from legal challenges to technical ones. But Chandler is now confident their tests will be able to operate robustly within the constraints they're facing – KEY POINTS l Distributed Restart project to start live trials this summer l Groundbreaking black start project will use embedded biomass, hydro and gas generation l Tender has been issued for bespoke microgrid control system for managing "reboot" power islands l Procurement and commercial models in development