Ameren’s transmission arm has been working with Heimdall Power since December to install dynamic line rating technology on some of its most congested transmission lines, the utility announced Monday.
Dynamic line ratings allow utilities to adjust transmission line capacities based on real-time factors such as temperature and wind.
"When you look at the fast pace of increasing demand for energy in our region, this technology could help be a strong complementary tool as more robust transmission infrastructure is being built,” Shawn Schukar, chairman and president of Ameren Transmission Co. of Illinois, said in a statement.
“It can also help us better understand where, how and when new transmission infrastructure needs to be built,” he said.
ATC of Illinois develops, owns and operates rate-regulated regional electric transmission projects in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator territory.
Since December, 15 Heimdall sensors have been deployed and another 15 will be rolled out this year, the utility said. Decisions about future deployments will be made “as more information is gathered through the pilot project,” Ameren said.
The sensors clamp directly onto transmission lines and have been deployed to “some of the most congested lines on Ameren's transmission system,” the utility said.
"The real time aspect could be particularly valuable on days when weather conditions are favorable. We may see the most value on cold or windy days," Robert Clausius, Ameren senior manager of transmission asset and compliance management, said in a statement.
"These conditions can cool down a transmission line and allow more energy to flow through it,” he said. “We should have more flexibility for safely and reliably rerouting energy to get where it needs to go."
Absent real-time data on the temperature, direct sunlight, ice and wind impacting a transmission line, Ameren operates the line on conventional assumptions to ensure safety, he added.
"We are building a smarter energy grid," said Clausius.
“There's a real opportunity” with dynamic line technology, both for grid operations and customer savings through greater system utilization, he said.
