Steam power plant repowering to provide black-start ancillary service and speed up power system restoration

Power system restoration via repowered plants has been considered to compare it with present operating solutions, frequently committing remote hydro or combustion black-start generators. After detailing about specific modeling of prime movers for start-up procedures, extensive simulations are here reported to highlight main characteristics of the various restoration phases. The obtained results suggest providing repowered plants with black-start capability, thus allowing a quicker and more secure recovery of large strategic thermal units. A reconsideration of present restoration plan guidelines appears in the end advisable.