Grid-scale Battery Energy Storage Systems for Fast Frequency Regulation: The Colombian Case

The significance of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) has grown in recent years due to the multiple services they can provide to power systems, especially frequency regulation, a service that is particularly relevant in the context of Renewable Energy Source (RES) integration. This paper examines the pertinent technical and economic aspects of integrating BESS to offer frequency regulation within the Colombian power system. Specifically, a Mixed-Integer Linear Programming co-optimization model is proposed for generation Unit Commitment. This model incorporates constraints associated with BESS and frequency response following a contingency. The model also includes critical elements for the safe and reliable operation of the grid, such as BESS degradation, the Rate of Change of Frequency (RoCoF), the minimum system frequency, and the steady-state frequency. Additionally, a techno-economic analysis of BESS application is conducted, based on the proposed model. The results show that due to the rapid response and flexibility of BESS, there are reductions in operating costs as well as improvements in both RoCoF and the frequency nadir after a contingency.