Literature Review On Transmission Expansion Planning
Literature Review On Transmission Expansion Planning
In an electrical power system, one of the most important part of network is the transmission link
as it the source of interconnection between generation and load centers. With the passage of
time, it is necessary to expand or upgrade the transmission network to make room for new
generation and increased load demand. Transmission network must have enough capability to
deliver increased/updated generation up to the load centers effectively. Most important tool to
make transmission network capable of doing so are transmission planning studies that are done
ahead of time and helps power system planner to develop new transmission plans to make the
system reliable and economical with the ongoing addition of generation to meet the future load
demand. Transmission expansion planning is necessary to meet the acceptable reliability level. A
system must be developed to include transmission network reinforcement plans in its operation
time. A planning decision on the retirement or replacement regarding aging equipment is also an
important task [1]. Transmission expansion planning is divided into three stages as shown below:
Transmission
Expansion
Planning
The first three factors are the most important and are to be considered in transmission expansion
planning. In the transmission planning, the following measures are necessary to be considered
such as voltage level, network expansion, substation scheme, reactive power compensation
planning, selection of new technologies with respect to generation as well as transmission, i.e.
renewable energy sources, HVDC and FACTS transmission lines and protection scheme
arrangements with the network enhancement.
Power system planning studies must be efficient, cost benefit and reliable. Many alternatives are
planned before heading towards the most effective option. It is important to select the most
feasible and reliable transmission plan that can be operated generally in all sort of circumstances.
Due to complexity, transmission planning is divided into sub-tasks in the system modeling
perspective. It includes the optimization modeling techniques to solve the transmission
expansion planning within the set of technical, economic and environmental constraints. Many
critical factors are to be considered in transmission expansion planning as they promotes to the
acceptability, validity and reliability of expansion plans. Such critical factors are:
Peak demand
Load growth
Equipment aging
In order to measure the reliability and economy of the system, traditional transmission planning
criteria must be followed as described below [1-2]
References
[1] Lajos Hanzo Editor in Chief “Probabilistic Transmission System Plannings)”, IEEE,
Press, 2011. A John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Publication.
[2] “Transmission Planning Studies for the Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) Process”_
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, operated by Alliance for Sustainable Energy,
LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under Contract No. DE-AC36-
08GO28308.