Emerson to assist NZ transition to carbon neutrality

Emerson will provide advanced automated solutions to assist with the safety and reliability of New Zealand’s first large-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) power project. It will help solar energy company Lodestone Energy complete its two 23-megawatt sites at Kaitaia and Edgecumbe, an important step in supporting New Zealand’s goals of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

Solar PV has become one of the fastest growing renewable energy sources. To generate and deliver it efficiently, precise orchestration and control technology are required to provide operators with intuitive functionality and comprehensive visibility. Emerson’s automation architecture will combine control software and technologies with enterprise data solutions to create an integrated, scalable control solution that maximises output and profitability while simultaneously contributing to grid stability.

Peter Apperley, General Manager of Engineering at Lodestone Energy, said reaching New Zealand’s goal of carbon neutrality will require many renewable power sources to be brought online. Emerson will help make this possible with its expertise in automation software.

Lodestone will use Emerson’s Ovation distributed control system and the OCR3000 controller to provide control to minimise the impact of variability and intermittency in solar PV power generation. These technologies will also make it easier for operators to respond to grid frequency events.

Ovation enterprise data solutions will provide monitoring of solar PV operations from the control room or mobile devices, measuring, monitoring and reporting key performance indicators to increase visibility of plant operations.

“Meeting New Zealand’s renewable energy goals will require power generation companies to rethink the way they operate, democratising data and increasing visibility for everyone across the enterprise,” said Bob Yeager, President of Emerson’s power and water business.

According to Yeager, Lodestone’s strategy aligns with Emerson’s vision of technology that provides access to critical data across the plant and industrial edge and throughout the enterprise.

Lodestone’s solar PV project requires multiple interfaces to third-party systems, including inverters, high-voltage switchboards, weather stations, site security systems and grid authority remote terminal units. Ovation will connect these devices to provide intuitive visibility for operators. It is also suited to support compliance with New Zealand’s energy participation code.