Challenges and methodologies in transmission planning for mega-cities

This paper presents novel aspects of transmission planning for mega-citiespsila power systems. Due to their huge concentration of loads, conventional planning methodologies invariably exhaust the technological limits of commercially-available equipment when faced with challenges like single-phase and three-phase fault short circuits, scarcity of transmission corridors and difficulties of accommodating non-conventional technologies based on power electronics, like HVDC links or short circuit current limiters, in particular due to their large footprints. Finally, this paper summarizes recommended criteria for strategic planning and notes that non-conventional solutions for reducing fault levels are unavoidable in the context of the extraordinary load growth rates of some developing mega-citiespsila power systems.