Optimal curtailment of non-synchronous renewable generation on the island of Tenerife considering steady state and transient stability constraints

Abstract

The increasing penetration of non-synchronous, renewable energy in modern power systems displaces synchronous generation and affects transient stability. This is just one of the factors that has led to preventive curtailment of renewable energy sources in an increasing number of electrical grids. Transient stability constrained optimal power flow (OPF) techniques provide a tool to optimize the dispatch of power systems while ensuring a secure operation. This work proposes a transient stability-constrained OPF model that includes non-synchronous generation with fault ride-through capability and reactive support during voltage dips. The model is applied it to the IEEE 39 Bus benchmark test case and to the power system of the Spanish island of Tenerife, and solved using the open-source library IPOPT that implements a primal-dual interior point algorithm. The solution of the model makes it possible to optimize the dispatch of conventional plants and the curtailment of non-synchronous generation, as well as to explore methods to reduce generation cost. Fault ride-through capability, synchronous inertia and fault clearing times are identified as useful tools to reduce the curtailment of non-synchronous generation, especially during periods of low load and high availability of renewable energy sources.