Application of HVDC systems for wind curtailment reduction

The European target to meet 20% of the electricity consumption with renewable energy sources by 2020 has driven the development of RES in all the Member States. Variable and non-programmable resources, such as solar and wind, have undergone a stunning growth in the last years and are likely to gain even more importance in the future. Their strong presence in the national electricity mix has created issues in many countries regarding the secure operation of the power system. In order to guarantee the stability of the system several TSOs have resorted to wind energy curtailment, which represents a waste of clean energy and an economic loss. In order to analyze this issue, a model of the Italian power system has been developed on PLEXOS, a program able to simulate the electricity dispatching mechanism. The model was, then, used to evaluate possible solutions to reduce wind curtailment. In particular, a proposal for the construction of a HVDC line linking Southern and Northern Italy was studied. It was observed that this solution enables wind curtailment reductions of the order of 70% to 80%, with respect to current levels.