An approach for managing switchings of controllable devices in the Benelux to integrate more renewable sources

The augmented importance of using renewable energy sources to produce electricity and their integration with the transmission grid leads to a significant increase in loop flows in the transmission network. The uncertainty of wind energy, one such renewable energy source, and its stochastic nature leads to variable energy and cross border flows through the transmission corridors of different countries in Europe. Hence congestion occurs in the system. The opening of the electricity market has also led to additional difficulty for the Transmission System Operators (TSO) to manage the loop flows and cross border energy flows in their network. Power flow controlling devices, such as phase shifting transformers, can redirect power flows, thereby minimizing congestion in the system. The current day-ahead scheduling of power system operation in the Benelux grid does not take the phase shifting transformers fully into account. Moreover there is insufficient coordination in the phase shifting transformers installed in the system. This paper describes the current operation of the phase shifting transformers in the Benelux grid. A methodology to include phase shifting transformers in the 24 hours day-ahead scheduling process is proposed in this paper. The main objective in the scheduling process is to resolve congestion in the system taking into account minimum number of operator interventions caused by switching of the phase shifting transformers for the 24 hours schedule.