Frequency Stability Impact of Cloud-Aggregated Assets and Large Power Imbalances in CE

The modern power grid is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by the increasing integration of inverterbased renewable energy sources. While essential for decarbonization, this shift fundamentally alters grid dynamics by reducing inherent system inertia, making the grid very susceptible to rapid frequency deviations, which results in high rates of change of frequency and deep frequency nadirs. Simultaneously, the emergence of cloud-aggregated distributed energy resources introduces both crucial flexibility and a new spectrum of vulnerabilities. These digital aggregations, while optimizing resource utilization, present significant operational complexities and cybersecurity risks. Therefore, the combination of large power system imbalances, whether from natural intermittency, equipment failures, or cyberattacks, with the diminished inertial response of modern grids, creates an amplified risk of cascading failures and widespread blackouts. Based on this, this paper provides the findings of a research work conducted to determine how malfunctions within these cloud-aggregated assets, alongside large power imbalances, critically impact grid frequency stability on the interconnected system of Continental Europe. Sudden large load changes and system splits under offline and real-time simulations provide valuable insights about the potential critical conditions of the test grid when exposed to the considered events.