Sharing frequency containment reserves with HVDC systems

A transmission system operator requires frequency control ancillary services to ensure reliable and secure power system operation. With the increasing share of renewable generation and a decrease in the traditional resources for these services, it is crucial that the system operators can share these resources across different electricity markets in Europe. The increasing number of HVDC interconnections provides an attractive option for sharing these reserves. This paper presents a security-constrained optimal power flow based model to investigate the benefits of using HVDC systems for frequency containment reserves procurement. Different types of frequency containment reserves in the Nordic synchronous area are considered in the model. The proposed model is used on a representative test system using publicly available data to show that the use of the HVDC system results in a decrease in the cost of reserve procurement and thus leads to an increase in social welfare. The analysis shows that the availability of HVDC system capacity and reserve price influence the procurement decisions.