Impact of transmission faults on the voltage dip performance of a weak upington distribution network with a CSP plant connected

The Upington distribution network is remotely located from the main transmission system. It is characterized by long lines supplying relatively small amounts of loads. The fault levels at various points in this network can be characterized as very low. These two aspects can lead to this network being characterized as very weak. As a result, faults taking place at various locations in the system tend to cause severe voltage dips. A concentrating solar power plant (CSP) is being planned for commissioning in the area. The presence of the CSP plant will greatly change the fault levels, and network strength, at various locations in the vicinity of the CSP plant. In this paper, a study is conducted to assess the severity of a voltage dip at a particular power station before and after commissioning of a CSP plant. A 3-phase transmission fault recorded historically is simulated. It is shown that the presence of the CSP plant has substantially beneficial effect on the voltage dip performance of the system.