Planning Process for Uprate Planning and Evaluation of Benefits in Comparison to New Lines: A Case Study

Capacity uprate of lines involves creating an incremental capacity of existing lines and can be implemented by upgrading thermal capacity, increasing operating voltage, or by converting high voltage ac lines (HVAC) to high voltage direct current transmission operation. However, uprating is not widely used probably because there are no clear and structured methods for evaluation of this option by network planners. In this paper, the author presents a proposed planning process for planning capacity up rate of lines. A case study is on the use of this process to plan uprate of a line is presented. A comparison between the uprate option and building a new line is made, considering technical, economic, environmental, and implementation factors. The effectiveness of the proposed planning method is demonstrated.