Integration of 50MW Dhofar Wind Farm Intermittency in System Planning & Operation

This paper addresses the system planning and operational consideration in dealing with the first intermittent 50 MW wind farm project in Dhofar in Sultanate of Oman. The wind farm consists of 13 × 3.83 MW wind turbines connected into the 132 kV Dhofar network. The entire Oman power grid has been modelled for steady-state and dynamic analysis in DIgSILENT Power factory software tool. The aim of the paper is to understand the impact on wind intermittency on the Dhofar power grid with respect to power flows, dynamics and reserve considerations to minimize exchanges between the neighbouring grids. A five-month wind measurement campaign was conducted to fully capture the variation in wind speed such that the appropriate measures can be taken from a planning & control room perspective. Statistical analysis and simulation results are presented in the paper. The analysis shows that if the appropriate measures for intermittency are taken, no adverse effects are identified due to the wind farm connection to the Dhofar transmission network.