Techno-economic comparison of electric power transmission systems for large-scale renewable power generation

Abstract

Integration of renewable generation is essential to achieve the climate change targets. Renewable sources might be located in remote areas far from the demand centres, where long electric power transmission systems are required to transfer the generated power. Overhead power lines in High Voltage Alternative Current ( HVAC ) are the conventional technology for bulk power transportation. However, for long distances other options may be more economically viable. Therefore, an economical assessment is necessary to compare alternative technologies for transmission systems, such as High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) and Gas Insulated Lines (GIL). The aim of this study is to analyze and compare the costs and operational savings of different transmission technologies considering several scenarios.