Dynamic Frequency Control Support by Energy Storage to Reduce the Impact of Wind and Solar Generation on Isolated Power System's Inertia

TLDR

In electrical islands, frequency excursions are large and automatic load shedding is often required; the replacement of conventional generation by wind and solar, which lack inertial response, further weakens these systems. The study uses dynamic simulations to evaluate energy storage–based dynamic frequency control support in Guadeloupe’s island grid with high wind or solar penetration. Fast‑acting storage injects power within seconds of a generation loss to support conventional units during primary reserve activation, acting as synthetic inertia. Fast‑acting storage mitigates the impact of wind and solar on the island grid’s dynamic performance during a major generation outage by providing synthetic inertia.

Abstract

In electrical islands, frequency excursions are sizeable and automatic load shedding is often required in response to disturbances. Moreover, the displacement of conventional generation with wind and solar plants, which usually do not provide inertial response, further weakens these power systems. Fast-acting storage, by injecting power within instants after the loss of a generating unit, can back up conventional generation assets during the activation of their primary reserve. This paper relies on dynamic simulations to study the provision of such a dynamic frequency control support by energy storage systems in the French island of Guadeloupe with large shares of wind or solar generation. The results show that fast-acting storage, by acting as a synthetic inertia, can mitigate the impact of these sources on the dynamic performance of the studied island grid in the case of a major generation outage. The other concerns raised by renewables (e.g., variability, forecast accuracy, low voltage ride-through, etc.) have not been addressed within this project.