Remote blackstart of steam electric station

The remote blackstart operation is a significant industry problem because a considerable portion of the electricity is supplied by base-loaded steam electric units. These units are located remote from the load centers supplying power over high- and extra-high voltage lines, they generally have no blackstart capability and need considerable off-site power for startup operations. The critical time allowed for their hot restart is 45 to 60 minutes, and their cold restart requires an elapsed time of 3 to 4 hours after outage. On the other-hand, combustion turbine units are installed close to the load centers, they are used as cycling units to meet the daily peak demands, need no off-site power for startups, and can be started in 5 to 15 minutes. Although they have not been designed, nor intended as the blackstart source, they can be an economical and a very attractive option for the remote blackstart of steam electric units, provided they meet the reactive power requirements. This paper examines the feasibility of blackstarting a steam electric station by a remote combustion turbine station. The feasibility is demonstrated in a 12-bus system that is in operation in a Mid-western utility.