IGDT-based participation of hybrid renewable-hydrogen virtual power plants in frequency control ancillary services

The exorbitant cost of green hydrogen delays its widespread adoption, while the integration of renewable energy into the grid introduces power system stability and frequency fluctuation issues. This study proposes a novel bidding strategy for hydrogen-driven virtual power plants (VPPs) that enable VPPs to simultaneously participate in the energy market and frequency control ancillary services (FCAS). The proposed framework optimizes distributed hydrogen resources (electrolyzers, hydrogen storage, and fuel cells) to participate in multiple markets, complying with Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) rules. A risk-managed model is developed based on information gap decision theory (IGDT) to handle uncertainties from both risk-averse and risk-seeking perspectives. Simulation results demonstrate that VPPs participating in multiple markets can enhance profitability up to 8.29 times compared to energy-only participation. Moreover, the proposed framework demonstrates its real-world application efficiency by achieving a computational time as low as 0.15 s in the most complex scenarios. • Developing hydrogen-based virtual power plants for frequency control services. • Developing a market framework aligned with Australia's energy market structure. • Evaluating uncertainty for both risk-averse and risk-seeking operators. • Participating in frequency control services improves virtual power plant profit.