Export cable rating optimisation by wind power ramp and thermal risk estimation

Abstract

This paper demonstrates the impact of using realistic wind power generation profiles, time-varying ocean bottom temperatures and hypothetical wind farm over-planting scenarios on export cable capacity optimisation. Given the inherent risk in over-planting, a novel hour ahead thermal risk estimation method was developed to foresee and mitigate cable temperature exceedance, employing a preventive curtailment. Two offshore wind farm locations L1(North-west European Shelf) and L2(Australian Shelf) have been chosen for testing but utilising real wind and ocean bottom temperature data. These simulated results demonstrate a 10% rating increment over the static rating in L1 resulted in a 13% increment in the amount of energy delivered over a year (MWh/year) without any risk or instances of thermal overheating. Similarly, a 9.8% rating increment in L2 resulted in a 13.6% increment in annual energy transmission (MWh/year). The financial increment for both over-planting scenarios was approximately (Formula presented.) 9 million/year for the studied cases.