Hybrid Power Plants’ Contribution to Alleviate Frequency Nadir in Low-Inertia Power Systems

The anticipated extensive integration of renewable energy sources will decrease inertia in future grids. This will lead to a higher frequency change rate and lower frequency nadirs. Hybrid power plants (HPP) are growing globally, driven by their considerable advantages and potential service capabilities. These advantages include increasing energy availability, mitigating intermittency and uncertainty in power production, and laying the groundwork for grid enforcement. Frequency containment reserves and fast-frequency response emerge as a potential revenue stream for HPPs, provided they can demonstrate reliable delivery capability. This frequency service has been implemented in the hybrid power plant controller. This study evaluates the impact of HPPs on the frequency nadir of continental Europe’s synchronous area. The inertia of the studied grid varies for different converter-based resource share scenarios. Simulation results demonstrate that introducing a significant percentage of hybridization can alleviate the frequency nadir challenges associated with high shares of renewable generation.