HVDC and Hybrid DC/AC Technologies for Reconfigurable Energy Islands (HVDC4ISLANDS)

Project Description

Future plans for construction of both onshore and offshore Energy Islands assume a whole set of new design and operational challenges based on the inherent flexibility of High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) and hybrid Direct Current/Alternating Current (DC/AC) network technologies. The conventional approach to integration of renewable sources uses either their direct connection to AC grids or an application of point-to-point, single vendor HVDC solutions. Expandable and reconfigurable Energy Islands as a validated concept will represent a unique solution that combines technological and market aspects of energy production and multi-vector demand with the availability of renewable sources. The aim of HVDC4ISLANDS is to address and improve principal operational and economic aspects of Energy Islands and to introduce the necessary concept of expandability to HVDC and hybrid DC/AC systems. New solutions for control, operation and protection of multi-terminal hybrid DC/AC grids will be sought and then validated using hardware-in-the-loop approaches. Offshore platforms acting as Energy Islands already generate large amounts of renewable energy, typically through offshore wind farms, and use it to power surrounding regions. There are several planned projects in Europe to construct such islands in order to reduce carbon emissions and meet climate targets. HVDC4ISLANDS aims to address the objectives defined in the Joint Clean Energy Transition Partnership Call Module CM2023-01 Direct current (DC) technologies for power networks” and to respond to the main research and innovation gaps and challenges identified in the framework of Europe’s Strategic Energy Technology (SET) plan.