Super grids, Benefits and Challenges

EPCC 13, May 17-20, 2015 Bled, Slovenia

Patrick Panciatici RTE (France), patrick.panciatici@rte-france.com

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SuperGrids:Benefits ? & Challenges ?

• Context and expected benefits – Towards a low carbon economy – between “Microgrids” and “Global Grid”

• Challenges? – Technical, Organizational, Economic, Social and Political

• Discussion …

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Europe: Electric Highways an Overlay on top of existing grids?

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USA: a national transmission overlay ? (James D. McCalley)

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The Global Grid: an academic vision? Spyros Chatzivasileiadisa (ETHZ), Damien Ernst (ULG), Goran Anderssona (ETHZ)

http://www.montefiore.ulg.ac.be/~ernst/uploads/news/id140/Global_Grid_RENE_final.pdf

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The Global Grid: an Chinese Strategic Plan? Last IEEE PES GM: Liu Zhenya, Chairman of State Grid Corporation of China Global Energy Internet – Roadmap for Sustainable Development of Human Being

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=AI9e5ZG0dWc

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The Global Grid: an Chinese Strategic Plan? Global Energy Internet Map

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SuperGrids: Challenges?

• Long distances and large power requirements HVDC technology Costly investments

• New long term planning methodologies: Modular approach Cost/benefits analysis: generation and grid

• Numerous challenges: technical, organizational, economic, social and political.

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SuperGrids: Technical challenges ?

• Meshed HVDC Grids Impossible to disconnect an entire powerful HVDC grid ( > 5 GW) in case of a single fault Open issue: fast detection and isolation of faulty components? Interoperability and standards ?, Components of the HVDC grid

should be provided by different vendors

• Reliability criteria: N-1 perhaps too costly? What else?

SPS using generation curtailment and DSM ? but Reliability of DSM (firmness) ?

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SuperGrids: Organizational challenges?

• Coordination between TSOs which control areas connected through the SuperGrid ?

Possibly not neighbors in the underlined existing grid? In case of emergency, fast actions of coordinated SPS? ICT solutions without changing the organization?

• A dedicated system operator for the Supergrid, itself? Acceptability? Subsidiary of TSOs? Operational links with the TSOs and Markets?

SG-SO Markets or SG-SO TSOs Markets

Just a SO not a TSO, multiple TOs including merchant lines?

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SuperGrids: Economic challenges?

• Integration of “Supergrid” in Market Flexible, based on AC/DC converters Injections of the HVDC “Supergrid” in the AC grids could be optimized to clear the market if the underlined markets are regional and decoupled, a upper layer should be required (market coupling ?)

The link between electricity markets and grid

capacities should be completely revisited. HVDC Supergrid are not AC grids, the flows could be

controlled and not imposed only by physical laws.

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SuperGrids: societal challenges?

• Social acceptance of large grid infrastructures? local impacts for a global benefit, less efficient local solutions requiring less grid infrastructures could be more acceptable for the general public,

BIMBY (Batteries In My Backyard) and/or (PVOMR) PV panels On My Roof

Competition or Complementary between

“zero energy homes”/“micro grids” and “Supergrid”?

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SuperGrids: political and regulatory challenges?

• Continental grids crossing borders? Energy policy remains a mainly national/state question Grid infrastructures should bring a local direct benefit

Impossible to cross a “state” without connection points

A “state” could be afraid to be too much dependent on external electrical supplies

• Regulatory issues: “Supergrid” requires huge investments with a long term return. Is it still possible to perform separately Generation and Grid Planning? and a modular (step by step) approach ? Could we image a market design leading to long term “optimal” generation and grid capacities over very large regions crossing borders.

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!