Optimization of grid interconnection and power plant system services (Part 2 – WP 2)

The overall objective is to develop a design tool and procedure for the optimization of the electrical design of offshore wind farm clusters including the provision of power plant system services by the cluster.

The activities are divided into several tasks as follows:

Task 1 - Power output variability and predictability

  • Power output variability - The variability in power produced by clusters of large offshore wind farms will be quantified with a simulation model CorWind. The results will provide necessary information for optimal clustering of the wind farms, with respect to better smoothing of the wind power variability and hence minimizing the amount of needed reserves and balancing power.
  • Predictability - The quality of next-day or next-week predictions at a given site is important for the financial return of investment for an offshore wind farm. Therefore, the project will try to establish a measure of the predictability of the wind power for the market horizons (next day) and for maintenance (one week ahead) as an additional siting parameter for test cases.

Task 2 - Grid connection and cabling interconnection design

  • Connection to the main grid and clustering of wind farms - To be able to find the optimal clustering of wind farms in an area, it is necessary to assess different alternatives for connection to the main grid; e.g. AC directly to shore, DC directly to shore, or connection to an offshore grid hub. The aim is further to determine how the wind farms can be connected into clusters, where the number, size and location of offshore substations must be found. The optimization of the connection to the main grid will be conducted by using the mixed-Integer LP model for offshore transmission planning NET-OP.
  • Wind farm inter-array electric design and procedure for electrical design - In this subtask, a procedure for wind farm inter-array electric design will be established, given the distance between the individual wind farms and cluster substation, the spacing of wind turbines within each wind farm, the wind turbine electric design and the concept for power transmission from the cluster substation to the main grid. The aim is as well to establish a procedure for the grid connection and cabling interconnection design based on the sub-modules described above.

Task 3 - Design verification and grid code compliance

  • Procedure for Verification of Grid Code compliance - The objective is to assess the capabilities of offshore electrical design with regards to reactive power supply, and voltage and dynamic voltage control, along fault ride-through capabilities.

Task 4 - Analysis of the availability of power plant system services of a cluster

  • The aim is to develop simulation tool for the provision of power plant system services and as well to focus on analysis of the availability of power plant system services of a cluster in dependence of its configuration.

Work package leader:

Work package partners: