Impact of Fast Frequency Response on Renewable Energy Source Curtailment and Load Shedding

Abstract

System operators in low-inertia power systems often have to curtail renewable energy sources (RES) and employ strict under-frequency load shedding (UFLS) schemes to ensure frequency security after an event leading to loss of generation. This approach limits the maximum RES penetration in a system and results to the loss of load. To tackle these problems, fast frequency response (FFR) schemes can be used to limit the frequency Nadir after a disturbance and decrease the need for RES curtailments and UFLS. This article provides insights on the interaction between the Kinetic Energy (KE), Frequency Containment Reserves (FCR), and Nadir after a disturbance, which are the driving mechanisms leading to RES curtailment. Then, it analyses the impact of FFR on the Nadir and its ability to alleviate RES curtailment problems. The low-inertia, islanded, Cyprus dynamic model is used to quantify the results and showcase the impact on a real system.