No need for must run units

At the prestigious @CIGRE 2018 event in Paris next week we will be talking about one of the biggest challenges facing the power grid; the increase of wind and PV generation.

This will mean that most of the future electrical power systems will face challenges such as reduced short circuit power, voltage problems in the grid and, very important for the transient stability of the entire grid, reduced inertia of the system.

With higher inertia the electrical system becomes more robust. To identify the need for additional inertia in the system, grid operators are performing day ahead contingency analysis including inertia evaluation.

Normally it is calculated with the outage of the biggest generator, load or interconnector (AC or HVDC) that will be in operation for the next day. If the analyses show that for these cases the inertia reserve is not sufficient, the grid operator must mitigate the situation.

One of the solutions is a commitment of expensive additional units, so called must run units, normally gas or coal power plants. An additional option or alternative is the application of the virtual inertia of the SVC PLUS Frequency Stabilizer. Its main purpose is to act as a primary frequency support as well as a STATCOM (steady-state and dynamic voltage support). Learn more: https://sie.ag/2BxGBCM