Technical and economic impacts of the 2010´s grid code requirements for wind energy in Portugal

Both environmental and economic drivers have demanded for a higher penetration of wind power into the networks. In order to be more economically viable, wind power projects are urged to increase their scale. To overcome the technical challenges as a result of such increase, it became necessary for System Operators to modify Grid Codes to facilitate a securer wind power penetration into the networks. The Portuguese System Operators have recently (July 2010) adjusted their Grid Codes accordingly. This paper evaluates the technical and economic implications of such modification and conclusions are drawn accordingly.