Optimizing Offshore Wind Integration through Multi-Terminal DC Grids: A Market-Based OPF Framework for the North Sea Interconnectors

TL;DR

This paper develops a market-based optimal power flow framework for multi-terminal DC grids to optimize offshore wind integration in the North Sea, considering price zone constraints and power flow effects.

Contribution

It extends the base OPF model with new constraints for price zones and demonstrates its application to offshore wind development scenarios.

Findings

Including additional constraints improves accuracy for large power flows.

Price as a variable depends on inter-zone power flows.

The framework effectively models offshore wind integration in multi-terminal DC grids.

Abstract

Interconnecting price zones and remote renewable energy sources has emerged as a key solution to achieving climate goals. The objective of this work is to present a formulation that extends the base optimal power flow model with price zones constraints to forecast the operations of upcoming offshore wind developments integrated into a multi-terminal DC grid. A case study based on the 2030 development of the North Sea is used to exemplify the utilization of the formulation. Here, three cases are presented, one with the price as a parameter and the other two with the price as a variable dependent on power flows between price zones. The paper demonstrates that, for large power flows, it is necessary to include additional constraints beyond line limitations to accurately capture the effects of price zone exchanges.