Photo credit: Canada Energy Regulator
By: James Wilt, Policy Development Manager
One of the most common concerns about wind power and battery energy storage in the Canadian Prairies is the impact of extreme cold. This issue is especially relevant given that peak electricity demand is reached during the coldest and darkest days of the year. But wind power and battery storage can and do reliably work throughout the year, even in the depths of winter.
Extended Periods of Extreme Cold Are Rare
Many wind turbines with cold weather packages—which include heating, stronger materials, insulation, special lubricants, and anti-icing/de-icing technologies—can safely operate down to around −30°C. Winter temperatures in Manitoba often dip below −30°C, but it is rare for this to happen for more than a few consecutive hours at a time. Since 2020, there have only been seven days when the mean daily temperature was −30°C or under.
In a vast majority of cases, during extreme cold wind turbines will only need to be offline for a few hours at a time; after de-icing and warming up, they can safely resume operations. A 2017 study by Natural Resources Canada of the impacts of cold weather on wind energy production found that Manitoba and Alberta experienced the lowest rates of cold climate losses in the country. Climate change is projected to reduce the frequency of −30°C temperatures; however, Manitoba still of course needs to prepare for the possibility.
Some Wind Turbines Can Operate Down to -40°C
One option to address the issue of extended cold periods is selecting cold-weather turbines that can continue to operate below -30°C. For example, Manitoba’s St. Leon wind farm, which uses Vestas turbines, can operate down to -33°C. While this is only a few degrees colder than the standard threshold, it is even rarer for Manitoba to descend below that temperature and having this extra room can matter a lot during periods of peak electricity demand.
Wind turbines produced by Enercon, a major German manufacturer, can operate down to -40°C. Their generation is reduced below -30°C but they still offer more than 50% capacity below -35°C. Enercon turbines have been installed at mines in Northern Canada (Diavik in the Northwest Territories and Raglan in Nunavik) and Antarctica; Iceland is also building its first wind farm with them. A 2016 review of wind power potential in Nunavut concluded that Enercon “should be the manufacturer of choice for large wind turbines in Nunavut” due to its excellent performance in extreme cold. This doesn’t mean that Manitoba should specifically procure Enercon turbines; only that such technologies exist as options.
Hydro Reservoirs Can Serve As Batteries To Back Up Wind Power
Manitoba is additionally well positioned to integrate wind power despite periods of extreme cold due to its vast reservoir-based hydroelectric system, which operates like a gigantic battery and can guarantee generation if wind resources experience shutdowns. A 2004 report by Manitoba Hydro about wind power’s potential in cold weather concluded that Hydro was “confident these issues can be accommodated and managed (i.e. backed-up) through the flexible operation of Manitoba Hydro hydroelectric system and that wind generation is technically viable in Manitoba.”
Likewise, a 2014 Provincial document explained: “When the wind is blowing, water can be stored in reservoirs. When the wind is calm, water is released to generate power at the dam site ensuring that customers get firm power on demand. In addition, our wind regime is most productive in the winter months when our peak demand for power occurs.” These conditions make Manitoba a near-ideal context for adding wind power to the system; climate change-caused droughts are reducing water flows but adding sufficient wind power to the grid will add, not undermine, system resilience to such challenges.
Grid-Scale Batteries Can Also Add Flexibility
Grid-scale battery energy storage, which continues to plummet in cost and increase in global installations, can provide additional preparation and flexibility. Batteries can be charged between peak demand periods, ensuring that electricity is available even if wind turbines experience outages. Weather and wind forecasting allows for several days of preparation to ensure battery storage is charged and ready for deployment during adverse conditions. And while they are typically used for same-day discharging, batteries can hold charges for weeks or even months if needed.
Battery storage can also be equipped with advanced thermal management systems and components designed for cold temperatures. The new Tesla Megablock can operate down to -40°C. Sodium-ion batteries, which are now being manufactured and installed at grid-scale in China and the US, offer greater performance in cold temperatures down to -40°C, along with rapid charging and improved safety. Cold-weather impacts on batteries can also be mitigated by “overbuilding” capacity—the same logic behind a peaker plant, with its full capacity rarely used.
Building a Clean Energy System for Cold Weather is Readily Available
Finally, there are also many broader, system-wide improvements that can help integrate wind power and battery storage into the grid in a way that improves reliability and stability. Siting wind turbines over a wide area can reduce effects of extreme cold and low winds. Interprovincial transmission lines can import and export electricity when needed to help cushion loss of generation due to weather-related outages; grid-enhancing technologies can also be installed to maximize the capacity of existing infrastructure. Long-duration energy storage such as compressed air and thermal storage can allow for discharging electricity over lengthy periods of time. And peak demand can be managed through cost-effective options such as replacing baseboard heating in buildings with ground-source heat pumps, retrofitting buildings, and increasing use of demand response programs.
Extreme cold is a real issue that Manitoba must take care to address as it considers additional wind power and energy storage. But it is far from insurmountable, and the Province must show bold and transformative leadership to develop an affordable, reliable, and climate change-responsive clean energy system.