Planning a Latin America SuperGrid: A First Approach

This paper proposes a methodology for the long-term integration of Latin American electrical power systems through a SuperGrid, using VSC-HVDC technology. The methodology proposes an optimization of the investment cost of the HVDC grid in order to size the necessary transport capacity of the HVDC grid. The optimization is carried out in two stages, the first one applies differential evolution methods for the optimization of the HVDC network for given generation scenarios defined according to weather conditions. The second stage consists of the application of the Pareto optimum evaluating the performance of each one of the suboptimal solutions obtained in the previous stage in the different weather scenarios, based on technical and economic indicators. The technical performance of the HVDC grid is evaluated, in both stages of the optimization process, by means of load flows of the DC Grid. Finally, the methodology proposed and the tools developed are used in the formulation of a first SuperGrid for Latin America.