Damping potential of FACTS devices in the European power system

The increasing extension of the European power system to the east and the large offshore wind power injections within the next years demand additional measures to improve the damping of inter-area oscillations. Multifunctional FACTS devices can provide an interesting contribution to the unavoidable reinforcement of the power system. A systematic examination of the damping potential of shunt and series FACTS devices in the transmission system is presented with the evaluation of new modeshapes indicating the sensitivity of voltages and currents to inter-area oscillations. By means of an exemplary scenario, the demanded quantity, rating and siting of shunt or series FACTS devices are determined and results of various examinations are summarized to general statements regarding the benefit of multifunctional FACTS devices in the UCTE.