INESC TEC concludes study for REN

In February 2013, INESC TEC’s Centre for Power and Energy Systems (CPES) concluded the study “Transient Stability and Voltage Control Studies for the Portuguese Transmission Network in 2014” for REN – Redes Energéticas Nacionais (Portuguese energy provider). The closing session of the project, which started being developed in early 2011, took place at the facilities of INESC TEC, and included a technical session with a demonstration of the main results obtained.

This consulting work focused on key issues, such as how to maintain the safety and stability of the Portuguese Transmission Network and the need to provide the conditions to connect new wind power producing centres. In that sense, the INESC TEC team assessed the need of using a specific class of FACTS (Flexible AC Transmission Systems) devices on the Transmission Network.

The devices make it possible to control the voltage and support reactive power on a permanent basis, besides supporting the voltage following short-circuits on the Transmission Network. This way it is possible to reduce or avoid wind power cuts, and improve stability in the grid.

Other than CPES, Luis Rouco of the Instituto de Investigación Tecnológica, the Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería (IIT) at Universidad Pontificia Comillas de Madrid, Spain, also participated in this study. The CPES team involved in the study was led by João Peças Lopes, Manuel Matos and Carlos Moreira, and supported by researchers Pedro Barbeiro, Henrique Teixeira, Hrvoje Keko, Helena Vasconcelos and Bernardo Silva.