Influence of GIC related Reactive Power Demand on the Austrian Transmission Grid

Solar storms interact with the Earth’s magnetic field and can cause undesired currents in power grids. So called geomagnetically induced current (GIC) enters the transmission grid through grounded neutral points and lead to half cycle saturation of transformers. The effects range from increased audible sound, thermal heating to increased reactive power demand and harmonic distortion. In this paper, the GIC-related reactive power demand of transformers in the Austrian power grid is modeled and calculated for the first time. Two load flow scenarios are described and the influence of a solar storm during these scenarios is analyzed.