Optimal Sizing and Placement of Battery Energy Storage System for Resilience Enhancement in Power Distribution Systems Against Volcanic Eruptions

High-impact and low-probability (HILP) events such as natural hazards have changed how the power distribution systems (PDSs) are designed and operated. The traditional reliability framework ignores the catastrophic effects of the HILP events on PDSs. Accordingly, the resilience concept is becoming more critical to developing strategies to mitigate those effects. This paper proposes a novel methodology for resilience enhancement on PDSs against volcanic eruptions. The proposed methodology evaluates the PDSs performance against lahars occurrence and its impact on the PDS infrastructure. The proposed approach allows planning and operating battery energy storage systems (BESS) to reduce the energy not supplied (ENS) during the system recovery. The methodology includes Monte-Carlo simulation method (MCS) and a stochastic optimization model. Our proposal is implemented on the IEEE 37-node test feeder and in a feeder operated by ELEPCO S.A in Ecuador. This feeder departs from the San Rafael substation to the Salcedo substation, which is vulnerable to the impact of a lahar in a possible eruption of the Cotopaxi volcano. The results show that the optimal sizing and placement of BESS can reduce the ENS against volcanic eruptions.