Quantum-accelerated active distribution network planning based on coherent photonic quantum computers

Active distribution network (ADN) planning is crucial for achieving a cost-effective transition to modern power systems, yet it poses significant challenges as the system scale increases. The advent of quantum computing offers a transformative approach to solve ADN planning. To fully leverage the potential of quantum computing, this paper proposes a photonic quantum acceleration algorithm. First, a quantum-accelerated framework for ADN planning is proposed on the basis of coherent photonic quantum computers. The ADN planning model is then formulated and decomposed into discrete master problems and continuous subproblems to facilitate the quantum optimization process. The photonic quantum-embedded adaptive alternating direction method of multipliers (PQA-ADMM) algorithm is subsequently proposed to equivalently map the discrete master problem onto a quantum-interpretable model, enabling its deployment on a photonic quantum computer. Finally, a comparative analysis with various solvers, including Gurobi, demonstrates that the proposed PQA-ADMM algorithm achieves significant speedup on the modified IEEE 33-node and IEEE 123-node systems, highlighting its effectiveness.