An Evaluation of the Ability of Wind Power to Provide Synthetic Inertia in the Nordic Power System
(2025) In CODEN:LUTEDX/TEIE EIEM01 20251Industrial Electrical Engineering and Automation
- Abstract
- This thesis investigates the concept of synthetic inertia, especially in relation to wind power. Further, the ability of wind power to contribute with frequency regulating ancillary services, through synthetic inertia, to the power system is examined. Synthetic inertia is defined as a concept that encompasses a variety of techniques, production methods, and control strategies that provide the grid with a short-term active power delivery in response to a frequency deviation. In this thesis, the provision of synthetic inertia during simulations is primarily provided by wind power, through turbine deceleration. In addition to the actual technical implementation and practical delivery, synthetic inertia is also addressed from a... (More)
- This thesis investigates the concept of synthetic inertia, especially in relation to wind power. Further, the ability of wind power to contribute with frequency regulating ancillary services, through synthetic inertia, to the power system is examined. Synthetic inertia is defined as a concept that encompasses a variety of techniques, production methods, and control strategies that provide the grid with a short-term active power delivery in response to a frequency deviation. In this thesis, the provision of synthetic inertia during simulations is primarily provided by wind power, through turbine deceleration. In addition to the actual technical implementation and practical delivery, synthetic inertia is also addressed from a market-perspective. Throughout the report, wind power is modelled through the Western Electricity Coordinating Council’s generic and dynamic wind turbine models, available through DIgSILENT PowerFactory, the used power system simulation software. These generic models are designed to represent a wide variety of wind turbines depending on the parametrization. Simulations were carried out in Nordic44, a model that represents the Swedish, Finnish, and Norwegian transmission network distributed over 44 busbars. The baseline model was modified to better represent the current Nordic power system, especially regarding its rotational energy. Wind power was introduced to the model and simulations of its active power response to frequency deviations were performed. Finally, the implementation of a battery energy storage system in parallel with the wind power was examined to see how it might affect the system’s frequency response and the ability for wind power to participate on the Nordic fast frequency reserve market.
It is concluded that synthetic inertia is needed in a future low inertia power system to strengthen the frequency stability. Furthermore, wind turbines are able to deliver short-term active power responses to the grid, through deceleration, corresponding to a ten percent increase from pre-fault production levels during ten seconds. However, the recovery period, during which the turbine re-accelerates is problematic with regard to the grid frequency. In a system where wind power provides additional power through synthetic inertia, the recovery period gives rise to a second, additional frequency drop. This frequency drop reaches a lower nadir than the one that occurs in the corresponding system, but without the provision of synthetic inertia from wind power. The frequency drop, due to the recovery period, can be reduced through different strategies, including the introduction of batteries. Finally, it is concluded that wind power alone is not able to, through a synthetic inertia response, comply with the current Nordic technical requirements on fast frequency reserve. Batteries could enable wind power to fulfil the requirements, but it is questionable if this would be a reasonable solution. The same size batteries that are needed for wind power to fulfil the requirements on fast frequency reserve, are capable of delivering the same amount of active power and energy to the grid on its own, without support from any wind turbines. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9201405
- author
- Svensson, Daniel LU and Van den Bossche, Jasper LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- EIEM01 20251
- year
- 2025
- type
- H3 - Professional qualifications (4 Years - )
- subject
- keywords
- synthetic inertia, fast frequency reserve, wind power, Nordic power system, frequency stability
- publication/series
- CODEN:LUTEDX/TEIE
- report number
- 5544
- language
- English
- id
- 9201405
- date added to LUP
- 2025-06-19 12:12:30
- date last changed
- 2025-06-24 13:17:54
@misc{9201405,
abstract = {{This thesis investigates the concept of synthetic inertia, especially in relation to wind power. Further, the ability of wind power to contribute with frequency regulating ancillary services, through synthetic inertia, to the power system is examined. Synthetic inertia is defined as a concept that encompasses a variety of techniques, production methods, and control strategies that provide the grid with a short-term active power delivery in response to a frequency deviation. In this thesis, the provision of synthetic inertia during simulations is primarily provided by wind power, through turbine deceleration. In addition to the actual technical implementation and practical delivery, synthetic inertia is also addressed from a market-perspective. Throughout the report, wind power is modelled through the Western Electricity Coordinating Council’s generic and dynamic wind turbine models, available through DIgSILENT PowerFactory, the used power system simulation software. These generic models are designed to represent a wide variety of wind turbines depending on the parametrization. Simulations were carried out in Nordic44, a model that represents the Swedish, Finnish, and Norwegian transmission network distributed over 44 busbars. The baseline model was modified to better represent the current Nordic power system, especially regarding its rotational energy. Wind power was introduced to the model and simulations of its active power response to frequency deviations were performed. Finally, the implementation of a battery energy storage system in parallel with the wind power was examined to see how it might affect the system’s frequency response and the ability for wind power to participate on the Nordic fast frequency reserve market.
It is concluded that synthetic inertia is needed in a future low inertia power system to strengthen the frequency stability. Furthermore, wind turbines are able to deliver short-term active power responses to the grid, through deceleration, corresponding to a ten percent increase from pre-fault production levels during ten seconds. However, the recovery period, during which the turbine re-accelerates is problematic with regard to the grid frequency. In a system where wind power provides additional power through synthetic inertia, the recovery period gives rise to a second, additional frequency drop. This frequency drop reaches a lower nadir than the one that occurs in the corresponding system, but without the provision of synthetic inertia from wind power. The frequency drop, due to the recovery period, can be reduced through different strategies, including the introduction of batteries. Finally, it is concluded that wind power alone is not able to, through a synthetic inertia response, comply with the current Nordic technical requirements on fast frequency reserve. Batteries could enable wind power to fulfil the requirements, but it is questionable if this would be a reasonable solution. The same size batteries that are needed for wind power to fulfil the requirements on fast frequency reserve, are capable of delivering the same amount of active power and energy to the grid on its own, without support from any wind turbines.}},
author = {{Svensson, Daniel and Van den Bossche, Jasper}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
series = {{CODEN:LUTEDX/TEIE}},
title = {{An Evaluation of the Ability of Wind Power to Provide Synthetic Inertia in the Nordic Power System}},
year = {{2025}},
}