Patrik Buijs

TEN-E revisited: Opportunities for HVDC technology

The high voltage transmission grid is dominated by AC technology. This is justified by its technical characteristics and its cost efficiency. Although in future AC technology will still provide the core of the transmission grid, the changing context makes it ever more difficult to apply standard AC technology. Alternative technologies, such as VSC HVDC (Voltage Source Converter High Voltage Direct Current) become economically feasible. HVDC (High Voltage Direct Current) is nothing new and has been applied in specific circumstances for decades. VSC HVDC is relatively new and has characteristics that can contribute to current investment problems. Therefore, VSC HVDC is no longer limited to a few niche applications and consequently should not be overlooked when an investment decision has to be taken. The aim of the paper is to illustrate that VSC HVDC is not necessarily a niche technology, but that it should be included as an option in new investment decisions.

Needed investments in the power system to bring wind energy to shore in Belgium

Renewable energy sources, and especially wind, take an increasing fraction of the European electric energy generation and they form an important part of the plans of the European commission towards a more sustainable future. Also for Belgium, wind power offers the most important renewable energy potential. Especially offshore wind power projects are booming and more than 2 GW is announced to be installed in the Belgian coastal waters. Of course, this energy needs to be transported to the mainland. At this moment however, the power system near to the coast is not ready to absorb such large amounts of electric power. New investments in transmission lines will be needed but these have been difficult in the densely populated country and further public opposition out of social, environmental and political concern is expected. For this paper, the Belgian situation is examined considering different investment options. A novel optimal investment model based on [1] is used to determine the techno-economic optimal investment policy. Strong emphasis is placed on retaining the current right-of-way.

European energy policy goals: Rivals or friends in transmission?

European energy policy strives towards an affordable, sustainable and secure energy supply. These three goals put strong demands on the entire value chain. The paper investigates how transmission grid planning, as the central element in this value chain, is influenced by these objectives. Especially it tries to examine how these objectives interact. It provides a first answer to the question whether the objectives are rivals or friends. To this extent a linear optimization model is set up. It combines an optimal power flow and optimal line capacities for the three policy goals and the combined multi-objective problem.

Locational signals in electricity market design: Do they really matter?

This study identifies potential electricity market design (EMD) approaches of sending Locational Signals (LS) that guide the location of generation plants. The stability, predictability and strength of LS from each approach are evaluated using cases from European electricity market. Additionally, important LS outside EMD are identified and compared against the signals from EMD. The paper concludes that LS from EMD do not always matter. Policy makers should be aware of the many factors influencing generation investments when setting up or changing an EMD and assess the potential of the envisaged incentives in relation with other incentives within and outside the EMD.