Camila Fernandes

Impact of intermittent generation on the expansion of the Spanish power system interconnection capacity

The expected massive penetration of renewable energy sources (RES) in Spain, added to its limited electricity interconnection capacity, will demand not only the introduction of flexible resources in the Spanish power system but also a stronger transmission capacity between this country and Europe. In this context, this paper computes the economic additional interconnection capacity between Spain and Central Europe based on the trade-off between transmission capacity cost and RES spillage cost. For this purpose, a model that simulates the hourly operation of the Spanish power system for a period of one year is used to compute hourly spillage. This analysis covers the period of 2020–2050 and includes four scenarios of RES penetration. In addition, a sensitivity analysis in relation to the cost parameters is presented.

A long-term prospective for the Spanish electricity system

The main objective of this paper is to present the preliminary results obtained within the SUSPLAN EU Project2, regarding the integration of increasing levels of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) into the future Spanish energy system. Firstly, the optimal expansion of the Spanish electricity generation capacity from 2020 to 2050 is determined for four different storylines. Then, for each one of these storylines, a detailed analysis of the power system operation is performed for the years of 2020 and 2050. Two electricity models are used for that purpose: i) a long term generation expansion model, and ii) a medium-term system operational model. The results obtained showed that a high amount of RES generation could be integrated into the future Spanish power system but this should be accompanied with flexible generation and storage units for ensuring a secure system operation.

Economic assessment of using FACTS technology to integrate wind power: A case study

In order to comply with the European Unions ambitious renewable targets for 2020, extensive investments in wind generation capacity have been made. Wind power plants are located primarily where the resource is available, which can lead to local transmission constraints during certain periods. In order to avoid transmission congestions, short-term measures that increase system operation costs such as topological maneuvers, conventional generation redispatch and wind curtailment are taken by the system operator. In this context, this paper performs a cost-benefit analysis of the installation of a Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS) device to avoid transmission congestions in a Spanish area dominated by wind generation contributing to a more efficient integration of wind power. Furthermore, it is computed the additional wind power that could be integrated with the installation of this device.