Hatch Microgrid Controller for Integration of Very Small Modular Reactors With Off-Grid Power Systems

Abstract

Several nuclear companies are developing very small nuclear reactors to provide heat and power to remote off-grid mines in Canada. Off-grid mine power systems experience large and sudden load fluctuations and it is unlikely that small nuclear power plants alone will be able to meet the load following and frequency control requirements in such systems. The integration of small modular reactors (SMRs) within a mine power system needs to be treated as a whole grid system development with provisions to respond to load fluctuations and for spinning reserves. While SMR integration with a mine power system is expected to be challenging, many lessons learned from renewable power system integration with stand-alone power system including rapidly varying load-generation balance can be adapted. Hatch has successfully integrated wind power with a remote mine power system in northern Canada. The Hatch microgrid system components and functions described in this article are readily adaptable for a SMR integration application with a stand-alone mining power system. In addition to the technical descriptions, the operational experiences from integrating renewable technologies with mine power system are discussed.