Summary
Electrical power systems are expected to experience significantly higher loading in the coming decades due to electrification goals across various energy sectors and the emergence of large loads such as data centers and charging stations. At the same time, with the increasing capacity of Renewable Energy Sources (RES), curtailments are becoming more frequent due to limitations in network capacity to deliver energy to load points or transfer it through connection points. In such conditions, DC systems can enhance network operation and address challenges associated with high loads and large RES capacities. In this work, the feasibility of Medium
Read more Read lessVoltage DC (MVDC) systems has been evaluated in sub-transmission and medium/highvoltage distribution networks. Accordingly, an Optimal Power Flow (OPF) analysis is used to compare AC and DC expansion alternatives in terms of load supply and RES curtailment levels.
The obtained results indicate that, although the DC system may exhibit slightly higher losses under some loading conditions due to converter station losses, it is the only option capable of accommodating high loading levels and large RES capacities in future scenarios. With respect to the time-series simulation results for very high RES penetration, the MVDC system reduces
RES curtailment from 20.7% to 5.0%, whereas the AC-based expansion is able to limit curtailment to 10.3%. These findings demonstrate that the MVDC system provides a higher level of operational flexibility, making it a promising solution for inclusion in future investment planning for sub-transmission and high/medium-voltage distribution networks, particularly when increasing RES capacities and emerging large loads are considered.
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Additional informations
| Publication type | Session Materials |
|---|---|
| Reference | C6_10334_2026 |
| Publication year | |
| Publisher | CIGRE |
| Country | Belgium |
| Study committees | |
| File size | 560 KB |
| Price for non member | 30 € |
| Price for member | 30 € |
Authors
DU PLOOY Corné - EnergyVille/KU Leuven, Belgium; ERGUN Hakan - EnergyVille/KU Leuven, Belgium
Keywords
Distribution grids, MVDC, Power flow control, Renewable hosting capacity
