Reliability & Resilience (R&R)

Recent events in continental Europe have demonstrated the EU power system’s vulnerability to cascading impacts from disturbances originating in Member States’ systems. This calls for remedial actions, both at national and regional levels, to mitigate these effects. The HVDC-WISE project seeks to provide the necessary framework for HVDC grid design to enable future EU-GB grids to be planned and operated in a reliable and resilient fashion.

HVDC has a high level of controllability in comparison to typical AC systems with faster and more precise power transfer control capabilities. Because of this, it presents increased opportunities for the improvement of grid R&R. HVDC interconnections have fast and efficient actuators that can potentially act as a firewall to block the spread of disturbances while permitting the interchange of power.

Case studies, technical developments and in-depth simulations will be conducted to investigate how adequate R&R can be realized within HVDC-based grid systems. The construction and careful design of HVDC networks across Europe and GB will help improve the future power system’s reliability and resilience. HVDC-WISE will make a significant contribution towards the realisation of this process.