These units act primarily as reserve capacity on the grid, and are only expected to operate for a few hundred hours per annum.As Ireland installs more and more wind turbines, there will be an increasing need for fast-acting, flexible, gas turbine peaking plants.
The Cushaling Power units can start up and reach full power output in less than ten minutes. They can also provide the electricity system with a range of ancillary services that are necessary to ensure that the targeted level of intermittent renewable generation can be achieved safely. Cushaling is therefore ideally suited for the role of balancing and complementing wind generation.
Following commissioning and testing during the summer of 2010, the Cushaling units entered commercial operation in September and provided a significant level of system support during the harsh Winter of 2010/11.