Wind parks — Hydro pumping coordinated operation: Application to the Portuguese system

Due to their ability to quickly vary their operation point, hydro power plants emerge as the most viable solution to promote the secure integration of wind power production, as they are able to compensate the short term variations of wind production, maintaining the balance between global generation and demand. The hydro power plants equipped with pumping systems, in addition to the flexible operation, allows the storage of excess wind power in the form of water, pumping it to their upper reservoirs. In this paper, the technical feasibility of coordinating two hydro pumping plants with the wind power installed capacity in Portugal is assessed through a dedicated model. The objective is to maintain constant, throughout the year, the power output of this aggregate at a target value. Historical records of the power production and demand as seen from different points of the transmission grid constitute the background for the simulations. The results obtained show that the continuous supply of the target power throughout the year depends largely on the established target value itself, on the values of the installed capacity of each technology (wind and hydro), as well as on the storage capacity of both reservoirs of the hydro pumping plants.