Quantifying the impact of HVDC interconnectors on carbon emissions

This paper uses an optimal power flow model to investigate how HVDC interconnectors can help to reduce the carbon intensity of electricity. Three carbon intensity metrics are introduced, as is theoretical framework which described how interconnectors affect carbon emissions and intensity. Simulations are used to investigate how changing the level of interconnection and the capacity of specific interconnectors affects the carbon intensity metrics. Results show that external interconnectors – which transfer power between transmission systems – have a greater impact that internal interconnectors – which bypass constraints within a system. This is partially due to allowing access to low-carbon energy sources which would otherwise be unavailable, but also due to emissions accounting which allocates all the carbon savings to one system.