Impact of wind power curtailments on the Spanish Power System operation

The increasing level of wind power capacity in the Spanish electrical system imposes a remarkable influence on the system operation and costs. The notable impact caused by this type of renewable energy source is of particular interest because the Iberian Peninsula Power System presents weak interconnections with other countries. In this scenario, wind power fluctuations can also affect the security, reliability and even the stability of the power system. Moreover, the lack of flexibility during periods of low demand, in combination with wind power variability and uncertainty, may lead to transmission and distribution saturations and power imbalances, where wind power curtailments are commonly accepted as a suitable solution to mitigate these problems. This paper describes different wind power curtailment scenarios and the corresponding evolution of operational procedures carried out by the Spanish TSO during the last years. Several wind curtailment scenarios measured in the Spanish electrical system are analyzed, discussing the operational decisions and techniques developed depending on demand and generation flexibility. This paper presents thus interesting results for TSO Companies as well as the whole wind energy industry, where a better knowledge of wind energy impact on electrical networks is needed.