UK firm Reactive Technologies (RTL) has shown how Taiwanese power company Taipower can integrate more renewable energy safer and faster.

Taipower and RTL have published findings from a real-time inertia measurement initiative launched last year. This collaboration marks a milestone in Taiwan’s green energy transition, ensuring grid reliability as more renewable energy sources are integrated into the grid. It also deepens the long-standing relationship between Taipower and RTL, following projects on frequency monitoring and spot inertia measurement.

System inertia is the power grid’s natural resistance to sudden changes in frequency, provided by the stored energy in rotating machines and other sources such as motors and grid-forming inverters. It plays a critical role in maintaining grid stability by buffering against sudden fluctuations in electricity supply and demand. Traditionally provided by fossil fuel plants through the rotating mass of turbines, this inertia is declining as the use of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar increase. As Taiwan transitions to greener energy, it needs to understand this trend and identify new ways to manage it.

Although renewables currently make up just 12% of Taiwan’s electricity mix, Taipower has proactively adopted RTL’s GridMetrix platform to enhance system visibility and prepare for higher renewable penetration. The platform provides real-time grid stability insights, enabling data-driven decisions to optimise planning, save costs and advance its 2050 goal of 60 to 70% renewable generation.

As part of this initiative, Taipower successfully measured grid inertia across its entire power network, uncovering a significant amount of residual inertia, the stabilising force that remains in the system even when generation drops. This hidden reserve made up 34% of total system inertia, revealing that Taiwan’s grid was more robust than previously estimated. The finding confirms Taiwan’s position to integrate more renewable energy safely and efficiently.

This project is also notable as Taipower is one of the first grid operators globally to use a battery energy storage system (BESS) as a modulator for active, real-time inertia measurement.

“This partnership with Taipower marks a pivotal moment in the global energy transition,” said Marc Borrett, CEO of RTL (reactive-technologies.com). “By successfully demonstrating real-time inertia measurement across Taiwan’s grid, we’ve proven that it is possible to integrate renewable energy at scale without compromising stability. Taipower’s leadership and commitment to innovation is setting a powerful example for grid operators worldwide.”

Wu Chin-Chung, Taipower (www.taipower.com.tw) vice president, added: “Through our collaboration with Reactive Technologies, we have gained better visibility into system inertia, allowing us to make smarter, data-driven decisions about renewable integration. We are proud to be at the forefront of innovation, working to deliver a secure and sustainable energy future for the people of Taiwan.”

The next phase of the project will see the deployment of a system inertia forecasting tool in late 2025. Leveraging AI and machine learning, the tool will analyse historical patterns alongside real-time grid data to generate day-ahead inertia forecasts, supporting more informed and proactive grid operations.