Exploiting the Flexibility and Frequency Support Capability of Grid-Forming Energy Storage: A Bi-Level Robust Planning Model Considering Uncertainties

With the continuously rising penetration rate of variable renewable energy (VRE), issues related to power balance and frequency stability in power systems have become increasingly prominent. Battery energy storage systems (BESS) with grid-forming capabilities are regarded as an effective solution for providing rapid frequency support. However, the stochastic fluctuations of VRE output also lead to time-varying system inertia, which undoubtedly increases the complexity of energy storage planning. To address these problems, this study constructs a bi-level robust planning model for grid-forming energy storage considering frequency security constraints. First, a frequency response model for grid-forming BESS is established. By accurately describing the delay characteristics of different resources in frequency response, dynamic frequency security constraints (FSC) that can be embedded into the planning model are constructed. Subsequently, the study proposes an evaluation method for the spatial distribution of power system inertia, providing a basis for the optimal siting of BESS in the grid. On this basis, a bi-level robust planning model, considering VRE uncertainty, is constructed, which embeds an operational simulation model and incorporates FSC. To achieve an effective solution of the model, FSC is transformed into a second-order cone form, and a nested column-and-constraint generation (C&CG) algorithm is employed for solving. Simulation results on the modified NPCC-140 bus system verify the effectiveness of the proposed model. While reducing the total cost by 15.9%, this method effectively ensures the dynamic frequency security of the power system, improves the spatial distribution of inertia and significantly enhances the system’s ability to accommodate VRE.