MTDC for Connecting Indonesian Islands Enabling Renewable Energy Generation

Multi-terminal high voltage DC (MTDC) technology can be a feasible solution for long-distance interconnection of the islands in archipelago power systems, thereby transmitting renewable energy from remote islands to the load centres. This paper proposes the interconnection of Flores, Sumba, Sumbawa and Lombok islands using the MTDC transmission system in Indonesia. The proposed MTDC system has four terminals, one on each island. Each terminal has a modular multilevel converter for the connection of the AC and DC power networks. Thus, the photovoltaic power generated on Sumba and Flores islands can be transmitted to the load centres on Sumbawa and Lombok islands. Droop controllers are implemented on the converter terminals to improve dynamic sharing of disturbances and variations. The performance of such a system is studied using time domain simulations of generation fluctuations and transient short circuit faults in the AC side on Flores as examples. These simulation studies show that the MTDC system can ride through the faults on the three islands and safely recover to normal operation, as long as the Lombok terminal, which is the largest of all, is operational.