Provision of frequency support by offshore wind farms connected via HVDC links

The high penetration levels of wind power will obligate wind farms to contribute to the mitigation of frequency drops. Comprehensive case studies are presented to investigate the different methods of frequency support provision by wind power. The implemented test system is composed of an offshore wind farm connected to an external grid through a point-to-point HVDC link. Three different frequency support methods are compared; droop de-loading, battery storage banks and a mix between the two methods. Moreover, two different methods of sensing the frequency drop, at the point of common coupling, by the wind farm are examined. The impact of the HVDC is highlighted, especially its role to transmit the power surge provided by the wind farm. A modified de-loading controller is developed and integrated to all the wind turbines, according to the executed case studies. Results show that the proposed frequency support solutions have almost similar impact on the natural frequency response at the point of common coupling. The HVDC link does not worsen the frequency response, and the fluctuations in voltage levels at onshore and offshore buses are very minor. DIGsILENT PowerFactory is integrated as a simulation environment.