Innovative grid technologies can improve renewable energy integration in the Latvian grid by up to 40%

—The power grid faces challenges in managing the increasing amounts of new wind and solar power generation. Grid Enhancing Technologies (GETs) are essential for optimizing the use of the existing infrastructure. Artelys carried out a study for Latvian Transmission System Operator (TSO) AST to assess the renewable generation hosting capacity of the transmission grid and to evaluate the benefits that GETs can provide to renewable integration. The study performed simulations using the open-source optimal flow tool, PowSyBI Metrix. Results show that Grid Enhancing Technologies can increase Renewable Energy Sources (RES) hosting capacity by up to 40% and were announced in the following press release.

The study, ordered by Latvian transmission system operator JSC “Augstsprieguma tīkls” and carried out by Artelys, shows that innovative grid measures can help increase the hosting capacity of the grid by up to 40% in the best case. The increase of electricity demand in Latvia, especially hydrogen technologies, can allow to connect additional amounts of RES to the transmission network, which was also evaluated in the study.

Solar and wind installations in Latvia have quickly grown in recent years, a trend which is expected to continue as projects requesting connections amount to over 6 GW of installed capacity, significantly larger than existing installed capacity of generation and short term forecasted demand. Similar trends are observed in neighboring Baltic countries.

“The integration of large amounts of renewable generation comes with the need to effectively combine different generation profiles. Beyond that, increase of the transmission capacity will be necessary. Traditional grid infrastructure reinforcements (e.g. new lines) are costly and take around ten years to be built. Innovative Grid Technologies (IGTs, also known as grid-enhancing technologies “GETs”) allow to make the most of existing infrastructure, allowing to reduce investments needs and increasing grid capacity. These technologies can often be deployed faster than traditional reinforcements, accelerating the integration of renewable energy waiting for transmission buildup,” says Arnis Daugulis, member of the management board of JSC “Augstsprieguma tīkls” (AST).

The study performed simulations of the Latvian transmission network using PowSyBl Metrix to evaluate the hosting capacity of the grid by 2030 and 2040 based on the existing situation and the benefits of IGTs in the integration of variable renewables.

Study results show that the hosting capacity of the Latvian grid is around 3800 MW by 2030 and 5000 MW by 2040 without needing major grid expansion projects. Hosting capacity is the amount of generation that the transmission grid can accommodate at the same time. For example, if the installed RES capacity is 6000 MW, only 3800 MW can be generated at the same time, due to weather dependency and different profiles of wind and solar generation.

Four IGTs were assessed: curative curtailment, dynamic line rating, FACTS devices and Battery Energy Storage, with curative curtailment and dynamic line rating showing the largest benefits. An economic evaluation of the use of IGTs to increase renewable integration was performed based on the avoided curtailment. Results show that IGTs can show benefits significantly higher than costs in the right conditions.

The study concludes by a set of recommendations in relation to integration of IGTs in the Latvian grid. Most of the innovative measures mentioned in the study have already been examined by AST, and some of those (e.g. DLR) are already in pilot project phase. The study reassures that IGTs can be effective way for connecting additional RES amounts to the grid.

This study was 100% financially supported by EU RePowerEU fund.