E

EUROPE HAS SET AN EXCITING AND

ambitious journey toward net-zero carbon
emissions by 2050. This target largely relies
on decarbonizing the power system and devel-
oping renewable energy. As hydro capacities
are already well developed, this renewable
generation can come from other sources,
such as biomass, geothermal sources, and
for an increasing share, from wind and solar,
as illustrated in Figure 1. Wind and solar are
not only weather dependent but also inter-
faced to the network by power electronics.
The characteristics of these variable inverter-
based technologies are fundamentally differ-
ent from historical power plants. They lead
to big challenges for system operation at the
transmission level because they do not natu-
rally provide the same services to support the
system, such as inertia.
To reach net zero by 2050, the share of
renewables is expected to increase signifi-
cantly, beyond 50% in continental Europe by
2030, with more than a half—and increas-
ing—of this generation from wind and solar.
This high-renewable generation situation
leads not only to high annual shares in the
power mix but also to very high and variable
instantaneous penetration rates. With no
curtailment measures, variable generation
can meet or exceed demand. This means that

Toward Net-Zero
Electricity What Are the
Challenges

in Europe
for the Power
System?

Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MPE.2022.3167575

Date of current version: 21 June 2022

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 By Marie-Ann Evans,
Caroline Bono,
and Ye Wang
at high variable generation periods, few con-
ventional plants may be synchronized to the
system. Such a situation can impact the sup-
port of critical grid services for system sta-
bility and security and frequency or voltage
control as well as black start and restoration.
Moreover, variability and ramping increase
so that the range between minimum and maxi-
mum penetration rates of variable renewables
can vary enormously and quickly, which greatly
impacts the dynamics of the whole power sys-
tem. The retirement of traditional plants in
these future generation mixes means that vari-
able generation will need to contribute to all
present and evolving system services.
Additionally, these variable energy sources
are dispersed and mostly connected to the dis-
tribution network, down to the household level
for rooftop solar, which leads to additional
©SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/DANCING_MAN

challenges at the distribution level. Power flow

patterns are changing, and traditional assets
to balance and stabilize the power system are
being displaced. These issues call for new
flexibility measures for the whole power sys-
tem, not only on the generation side but also
on the demand side. Some flexibility solutions
can be provided by distribution-connected
variable generation hybridized with storage.
Additional solutions could be provided by new uses, such as electric mobility and demand response, which
are developing as decarbonization drives increased electrification.
Based on recent research, this article focuses on the following technical aspects:
✔ maintaining power system stability with numerous nonsynchronous power-electronics inter-
faced sources
✔ rebuilding load-shedding and restoration plans to deal with exceptional disturbances
✔ developing and enforcing compliance with grid codes for large numbers of new distributed en-
ergy resources.
As well as providing low-carbon energy, the reliability of the resources and their capability to provide
system services needed for system stability (or to mitigate congestion in the network) are critical aspects
for an efficient and well-integrated power system. However, new technologies and processes require an
adequate regulatory and economic framework to ensure the near-term investments that would enable
Europe to follow its net-zero path.

Scenarios Toward Net Zero and Their Impact

on the European Power System
The path toward net zero requires that more than 50% of electricity generation comes from renewable
energy by 2030. As hydropower sites have already been largely developed, and other sources, such as
biomass, encounter more constraints (economics, competition on uses, and so on), an increasing share of
renewables is expected to come from wind and solar. Two main scenarios were developed at the European
level with the increasing capacities of renewables across the member states, denoted as Energy Transition

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 Hourly power generation and load profiles
were derived from the marginal costs of production sources,
historical weather chronicles, and demand curves.
and Renewable Ambition. They were built following national
energy targets and are based on European reference scenar-
ios for the development of new generation capacities in all
European countries.
Various scenarios on the future system interconnections
were analyzed including the European Network of Trans-
mission System Operators for Electricity Ten Year Network
Development Plan (ENTSO-E TYNDP) to build the inter-
connections and study the cross-border power flows. Finally,
hourly power generation and load profiles were derived from
the marginal costs of production sources, historical weather
chronicles, and demand curves. Following carbon policies
in all European countries, the scenarios included the electri-
fication of transport and heating, which led to a significant
increase in the power demand by 2030.
Also, several sensitivities were built to study the addi-
tional effects at a national level on the power system and
its stability, such as the distribution of these renewables.
Indeed, displacing generation that was historically con-
nected to the transmission level only to the lower voltage
networks can lead to less capacity to control frequency or
voltage in the transmission system and new issues, such as
back-feeds, appearing in the distribution system.
Share of Energy Sources in the European Power Mix (%)
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5 Coal
0
2017
figure 1. The increase to 50% and beyond renewable energy sources (RES) in Europe relies on a sharp and steady in-
crease in variable generation (wind and solar) based on the International Energy Agency and European projections used in
the EU-SysFlex scenarios (2018).
46 ieee power & energy magazine
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In the investigated Renewable Ambition scenario, the
share of renewable energy sources (RES) for electricity
increases from 17% in 2016 to 66% in 2030 for continental
Europe, as illustrated in Figure 2. In this scenario, an esti-
mated 34% of the power demand will be covered by variable
generation, namely wind and solar.
Two high-level key findings are learned from the simula-
tions using a unit commitment and an economic dispatch
model. First, simulations have shown that carbon intensity can
decrease to 100 g of CO2/kWh by 2030 in Europe by limit-
ing the use of fossil fuels and decommissioning coal plants.
However, as illustrated in Figure 3, simply increasing variable
generation is not sufficient to achieve decarbonization. Beyond
45% variable generation, an asymptote is reached if measures
to better integrate variable generation are not deployed, espe-
cially the use of energy storage. Above a certain level of vari-
able generation, additional variable generation produces output
in periods that are already well covered by existing renewable
generation. In other words, they “cannibalize” each other.
Additionally, considering a yearly timeframe, seasonal
energy transfer is needed, especially in the winter, when solar
power is low and heating demand is high. Adding well-known
flexible peaking gas plants could mitigate the shorter and
>>
Wind and Solar
W
Other
Renewables
Natural Gas
Nuclear
2020 2025 2030 2035 2040
july/august 2022
 Energy Transition Scenario Renewable Ambition Scenario
(52% Renewables in Europe) (66% Renewables in Europe)

VRE Generation (%)

0% 71%

figure 2. The increase in nonsynchronous renewable generation (wind and solar) in Europe when increasing the renewable en-
ergy targets to the 52% (Energy Transition) scenario and the 66% (Renewable Ambition) scenario. VRE: variable renewable energy.

longer duration storage needs, but the carbon emissions and European level and from 6 to 90% in Germany, for example.
the unfavorable economics, due to low load factors, would Even for countries such as France that have a dominant share
slow progress toward net-zero goals. To reach carbon neu- of synchronous machines in their low-carbon power mix
trality, dispatchable low-carbon generation, such as nuclear, (hydro and nuclear), it greatly impacts the dynamics of the
biogas, and biomass, could complement variable renewables whole power system.
to replace fossil plants by 2050. Carbon trajectories would Following these first results and the insight they provided
also benefit from innovative, but still immature, technolo- on the changing dynamics of the power system, the sce-
gies, such as carbon capture and storage and power-to-gas. narios were used for further analysis in dynamic simulation,
Second, considering a totally different timeframe, the observing the behavior of generators and the impact on the
higher mean shares of wind and solar on an annual basis system in near real time. As the variable and nonsynchro-
translate into higher and widely varying instantaneous lev- nous nature of wind- and solar-based electricity generation
els. The instantaneous penetration
of variable renewables may range
from 10 to 80% across Europe. With Reduction of CO2 Emissions per kwh Following the Variable
no curtailment measures, high wind Generation Share (%) in the European System
220
and solar generation periods can Energy Transition
reach 100% and even exceed the
power demand. As illustrated in 170
CO2 Emissions gCO2/kWh

Decommissionning
Figure 4, in the Renewable Ambi-
of Coal-Fired Plants
tion scenario, with 34% of wind
and solar in the power mix, peak 120
Renewable
instantaneous levels of nearly 80% Ambition
were observed for Europe and of 70
95% for some countries such as
Spain. This means that at high
nonsynchronous generation times, 20 CO2 Emissions Stagnate If Variable
Generation Cannot be Better Integrated
few conventional plants are connected
15 25 35 45 55 65
to the system, which supports sta-
–30
bility and security. % Variable Generation in the Power Mix
Moreover, variability increases
with amplitudes between minimum figure 3. The reduction of CO2 emissions per kWh following the variable generation
and maximum penetration rates share (%) in the European system slows down with no further integration levers such
that vary between 11 and 78% at the as storage or power-to-gas.

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 In the investigated Renewable Ambition scenario,
the share of renewable energy sources for electricity
increases from 17% in 2016 to 66% in 2030.
is significantly different from the current large synchronous
machines that they are replacing, scarcities not only in iner-
tia but also in several essential capabilities to operate the
power system in a secure and stable way appeared and raised
concerns for system operation in the coming years.
Key Technical Challenges Appear
in Power Stability at High Variable
Generation Shares
The fact that wind and solar technologies interface to the
networks through power electronics and do not provide
inertia is different from synchronous machines and often
raises questions related to system stability. Not only do
they displace conventional power plants that are currently
providing system services and stability, but their inherent
characteristics are different, which induces scarcities in tra-
ditional system operation. Therefore, increasing the share of
inverter-based resources (IBRs) in the European Power Sys-
tem challenges the three domains of power system stability:
frequency, voltage, and rotor-angle stability. The concerns
are listed hereafter for each domain, and mitigation mea-
sures, which were analyzed in simulation and tested in the
field, are discussed.
Non-Synchronous Generation Instantaneous
Penetration Rates With High Renewable Share
in the Power System
France
Spain
Germany
Continental
Europe
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
(%)
Max. Penetration Rate
Mean Penetration Rate
Min. Penetration Rate
figure 4. High shares of variable generation lead to ex-
treme instantaneous penetration rates in the power system
calculated from the Renewable Ambition scenario of the
EU-SysFlex project. Max.: maximum; Min.: minimum.
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Frequency Stability
The frequency in a power grid is proportional to the rotating
speed of the synchronous generators of the power plants cou-
pled to this grid. The generators create the voltage wave, and
their rotating speed varies according to the balance between
active power generation and demand. The frequency value
must remain close to its nominal value, 50 Hz for Europe, and
frequency control mechanisms correct power imbalances in
real time. In addition to these mechanisms, frequency con-
trol relies to a great degree on the natural mechanical iner-
tia of synchronous machines. It slows down all frequency
deviations following any disturbance in the system, such as
the disconnection of a generating unit. This inertia allows
for support mechanisms to take over. It provides time for
frequency control reserves to increase active power output
and correct the power imbalance.
Compared with electromechanical generators, resources
such as wind and solar are not synchronously connected to
the grid and do not store kinetic energy that can instantly be
delivered in the case of an imbalance in the system. Addi-
tionally, they displace the conventional units in the power
mix, which provide the needed inertia in the system. There-
fore, high instantaneous penetrations of wind and solar
create challenges for frequency stability in cases of large
power imbalances.
Following the trip of a generating unit, the frequency
drops faster, with a steeper rate of change of frequency.
Reduced inertia, without modifications to frequency con-
trol, can be challenging for the whole system and could lead
to measures such as load shedding. However, inverter-based
generation and batteries can also inject active power nearly
instantaneously, and since frequency follows the real-time
balance between generation and demand, this fast frequency
response could actually support frequency containment to
compensate for the lower inertia. Other grid assets and regu-
lation features can also support frequency control.
Voltage Stability
Voltage stability can also be challenged as conventional
power sources are displaced in the system, reducing the
number of voltage sources and voltage setpoints in the grid.
This decrease in voltage support is exacerbated by the cur-
rently decreasing power flows on the transmission network
because renewable generation is mainly connected to the
distribution network. It stresses the voltage plans and the
control of voltage within acceptable limits in all buses of
the grid. This specific point could change as ambitious
july/august 2022
 The scenarios were used for further analysis
in dynamic simulation, observing the behavior of generators
and the impact on the system in near real time.
t­argets for offshore wind capacities connected to the trans-
mission level are set by Europe, but this was not included
in our studies.
On another point, renewable generators can be installed
in locations far from load sites, in locations where wind or
sun are more abundant. This can create massive active and
reactive power flows that could result in voltage dips due
to longer electric power transmission distance. This occurs,
for example, in Germany, with offshore wind in the north
and main load centers in the south. In Italy, the similarly
reverse situation occurs, with higher industrial and residen-
tial consumption in the north and main solar generation in
the south.
With fewer synchronous machines connected in the sys-
tem, it becomes difficult to ensure an adequate short cir-
cuit power value and guarantee dynamic voltage stability.
Transient stability may suffer if there is a fault. Small-signal
stability may be a problem because IBRs typically need a
strong grid for their synchronization controls.
Although variable generation units do provide short
circuit power, the inverters’ short circuit current is limited
to much lower values than electromechanical units due to
several factors, such as thermal limits, insulation levels, or
internal protection methods. This impacts the triggering of
system protections. It challenges the safe operation of the
grid in the case of faults and requires changes in network
operation schemes.
Rotor-Angle Stability
The decrease in system strength and operating synchronous
generators to their limits also touches upon rotor-angle sta-
bility, which is the capability of rotating machines to stay
stable when disturbances occur. As all stability domains are
challenged, the risks of power oscillations appear locally and
can severely damage generators. The risks of interarea oscil-
lations that can result in system splits also increase. They
can, however, be controlled by adding new regulation func-
tions that need complex system modeling with very detailed
data from all of the components of the system.
Maintaining Stability With a Large Share
of Inverter-Based Sources
By enhancing coordination between transmission system
operators (TSOs) and distribution system operators (DSOs)
at their interfaces and enabling the use of voltage control
in the distribution network and by adding components,
such as flexible alternative current transmission systems or
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synchronous compensators, several solutions can contrib-
ute to system strength. To contain the inertia and stability
issue, synchronous machines can be maintained or added
(synchronous compensators) to the system, and additional
dynamic frequency response can be provided by batteries
and variable generation.
Innovative solutions are also emerging, especially grid-
forming advanced control modes for the inverters connect-
ing batteries and variable generation to the grid. Instead of
following the grid and injecting power as they currently do,
they could contribute to the 50-Hz waveform and behave as
voltage sources. These grid-forming controls already exist
in microgrids and have deployments in some areas, such as
Australia. However, when considering a large-scale deploy-
ment in Europe, further studies are needed to analyze the
impact on the coordination with synchronized rotating
machines and historical automation applied for the safe and
efficient operation of the grid.
In the three domains of stability, solutions imply large
investments in networks to prevent blackout or load-shed-
ding events. Several are mature, while others are still under
development. To reach the European decarbonization targets
and maintain the secure operation of the system, additional
studies would need to determine the right mix of solutions
and coordinate the automations of new system components.
Other Key Challenges Appear
for the System Operation
System Restoration
The stability issues occurring with a large share of decen-
tralized IBRs impact both aspects of abnormal conditions
in the system: fault protection and restoration. The intercon-
nection of inverter-based generation to the distribution net-
work impacts the fault protection scheme that is designed
to isolate a faulted zone to maintain power to the rest of the
network. For example, the relay desensitization or blinding
of a feeder protection can be caused by distributed genera-
tion that feeds the fault, inducing the reduction in current
through the feeder relay.
To stay within manageable limits and maintain fre-
quency during emergencies when the frequency drops below
a certain threshold, the network automatically sheds loads
to restore balance. Load shedding is one of the ultimate
actions to prevent a blackout. In a predominantly decentral-
ized system, balancing is more complex as the triggering of
these medium-voltage relays will also shed a large share of
ieee power & energy magazine 49
 generating units. This can reduce, eliminate, or even reverse criteria summarized in Figure 5. They increase as the share
the efficacy of load shedding. New mechanisms are being of variable generation increases. They also appear sooner in
introduced to shed loads more selectively than at the indi- smaller and less-interconnected systems as they cannot rely
vidual distribution circuit level without impacting decentral- on as many conventional plants to sustain flexibility nor as
ized generation units. many interconnections to benefit from cross-border flexibil-
Restoration following a large incident is historically a cen- ity. For the Island of Ireland, scarcities to balance and oper-
tralized process that relies upon black-start generators that are ate the system in a conventional way are already observed
capable of starting without external grid voltage support and of for inertia, frequency and voltage stability, oscillation damp-
reenergizing low-voltage network lines so that blocks of loads ing, and congestion management. The framework is there-
can be reconnected step by step. The displacement of tradi- fore currently evolving to enhance the system services port-
tional power plants with black-start capability in the power mix folio with innovative products, such as inertial or dynamic
and the decentralized nature of new variable resources imply a reactive responses. Trials are already in place to qualify the
complete overhaul of the restoration scheme. Technologies like service provision by new players.
storage and variable generation in grid-forming mode can
provide black-start services. However, as stated before, they Operating and Controlling Increasing
are not yet mature, especially for large systems. They would Numbers Of Smaller Decentralized Units
also need sufficient short circuit power to generate enough When the system hosts a large share of dispersed variable
current to reenergize the system and be capable of controlling generation, its configuration changes from a centralized
the voltage and frequency on islanding portions of the grid one with dozens of large generating units to a complex and
for reenergizing the load before the global resynchronization decentralized one connecting hundreds of thousands of
of the system. sources, including some at lower voltage levels of the sys-
The large interconnected European system is not yet tem. These sources need to provide not only energy but
experiencing scarcity for restoration services because many also flexibility in the system as variability and uncertainty
large plants still provide black-start services. However, in theincrease on both the generation and the demand side. In
case of a system split, there may be zones where plants with France today, the number of units is approximately 2,000
this capability are displaced as variable generation increases plants for wind energy and 480,000 for solar. As projected
that lack sufficient black-start capability. by the main French DSO, ENEDIS, in its Prospective 2050
exercise and illustrated in Figure 6, increasing renewable
Scarcities Already Occur in energy resources will be connected at the distribution level.
Some Areas in Europe Some installations, such as rooftop solar, are only a few kW.
Recent research has analyzed scarcities in historical flex- Future demand response, such as through the manage-
ibility capabilities to manage system stability and restoration ment of electric heating and electric vehicles, will require
in three different synchronous areas in Europe: continental the integration of billions of so-called “prosumers” into the
Europe, the Island of Ireland, and Scandinavia. Extensive system in a reliable way. Tests showed that, although the
dynamic simulations showed increasing concerns for several potential volume of flexibility on the demand side is huge,
the access to it is complex. Because
the primary goal of these assets
is not system services, the time
Continental Island of response and the availability of
System Scarcity
Europe Ireland
these assets to provide system ser-
Inertia vices clearly limit which services
Frequency Containment can be provided and their volume.
Not Analyzed The situation differs with renew-
Steady-Stage Voltage able generation. As it will consti-
No Scarcity Seen
Dynamic Voltage tute a dominant share of the power
Evolving Issue
mix, it will, both on its own and
Critical Clearing Times
Concern associated with other technolo-
Rotor-Angle Margin
Scarcity Seen
gies, such as batteries, need to
Oscillation Damping provide not only energy but also
system services. Regulation is sup-
System Congestion porting this change with network
codes, guidelines, and enhanced
figure 5. A summary of technical scarcities to operate the system found in recent market rules as well as changes
studies in three synchronous areas in Europe if no mitigation measures are taken. in system operation guidelines.
(Source: EU-SysFlex project—Flexibility Roadmap.) The management and control of

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 In Europe, grid codes have been significantly enhanced
in recent years and extended to the whole area to ensure
the energy transition to green power.

active and reactive power increasingly include the applica-
tion of innovative technologies. Activation times need to
comply with existing network codes and vary between a
few minutes or even faster for system services, such as fre-
quency control.
The coordination of these services is complicated by the
need to manage system congestions while generation site
locations vary, in terms of both geography and voltage level.
The forecasting of power flows at all system levels is essen-
tial to know which assets could be activated without creating
additional constraints in other parts of the system.
To ensure system stability, grid codes specify the require-
ments for the behavior of variable generation units during
disturbances. A transitory deviation in frequency or voltage
should not lead to the disconnection of these sources as it
would worsen grid disturbances, such as a short circuit or the
loss of a power unit. The unforeseen massive disconnection
of variables has already been observed a few times and con-
tributed to the incident in Great Britain on 9 August 2019.
Implementing countermeasures on hundreds of thousands
of installations is challenging. In Europe, grid codes have
been significantly enhanced in recent years and extended to
the whole area to ensure the energy transition to green power.
However, they apply only to new units and should evolve
to integrate further requirements not yet foreseen. Further-
more, qualification tests and periodic performance checks
should be carried out to verify that distributed generation
units behave as expected. Considering the number of genera-
tors in question, these procedures imply challenges in com-
munication, data processing, and cybersecurity.
Industrial pilots have demonstrated that wind and solar
farms can provide services to the system. For example, these
resources can modulate active/reactive power or behave as
voltage sources. However, scaling up this capability requires
a check of the performances and the reliability and volume of
service provided by a multitude of smaller variable sources
compared with one large dispatchable plant. Again, the vol-
ume of data associated requires the formatting and standard-
ization of data and communication protocols. Information
systems will need to work seamlessly together to deal with
the multiplication of interfaces. New devices and standards
are being discussed and implemented at the national and
European levels.
Technical Solutions Exist
and Need to Be Incentivized
Mitigation measures to the challenges previously discussed
exist: first by enhancing the services provided by current
plants and by developing new functionalities in the technolo-
gies that will constitute the future power system. Demonstra-
tions have showcased mitigation capabilities at an industrial
scale on real power systems in several projects. They include
the Horizon 2020-funded project European Union(EU)-­
SysFlex (2018–2022), in which many key ­players of the

Evolution of On-Shore Wind Power Connected to the Distribution Network Between 2015 and 2050 (in MW)

2015 2020 2028 2030

25 50 100 250 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 N/A

Source : ENEDIS Prospective 2050 report.
https://www.reseauxdavenir.com/prospective-2050-les-differents-scenarios-selon-enedis/

figure 6. The evolution of distributed power in France, showing an example of onshore wind farms connected to the Dis-
tribution Network between 2015 and 2050 (in MW) following the ENEDIS Prospective Rupture scenario. (Source: ENEDIS
Prospective 2050, 2021.)

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 power system (TSOs and DSOs, technology providers, utili-
ties, and researchers) collaborated on flexibility solutions.
These demonstrations include enhancing the functions of
wind and solar plants to showcase their capability to support
frequency and voltage services, ramping control, and peak
shaving. Figure 7 illustrates the provision of 1 MW of fre-
quency containment reserve (FCR) by a 12-MW wind farm
in Anglure, France. It demonstrates that active power was
delivered successfully to compensate for the decrease in
frequency. The wind power plant was set to deliver the full
FCR within a reduced range of frequency deviation. This test
allowed the verification of the controller’s dynamic behavior,
especially to observe the full reserve release after reaching
the frequency threshold. As shown in this 14-min extract, the
power delivered reaches the estimated maximum available
active power when the frequency drops to 49.95 Hz, thereby
providing 1 MW of full FCR as expected. Figure 7 also
shows the ability of the wind plant to provide 1 MW of FCR
even when wind production is low, i.e., operating at 2 MW.
However, the variability of wind and solar still raises
issues, and aggregation was investigated to smooth local
impacts from weather-dependent resources. Adding storage
in the aggregation, such as the battery energy storage sys-
tem shown in Figure 8, not only benefits energy balancing
and peak shaving but also enhances frequency, ramping, and
voltage services provided by variable generation. Aggrega-
tion also includes the active management of the demand-side
assets. This helps reduce imbalances; adds storage capacities
on the demand side with the deployment of residential bat-
teries for self-consumption, heating, or mobility; and could
also provide additional services to the grid, if prospective
studies on vehicle-to-grid prove conclusive.

5,000
Maximum Available Power
Active Power (kW)

4,000 Baseline Power

Full Downward Reserve Power
3,000
Actual Wind Power
2,000

1,000

00:58 01:00 01:02 01:04 01:06 01:08 01:10 01:12 01:14

10 July 2020
(a)

50.1

50.05
Frequency (Hz)

50

49.95

49.9
00:58 01:00 01:02 01:04 01:06 01:08 01:10 01:12 01:14
10 July 2020
(b)

figure 7. The provision of 1 MW of symmetrical FCR by a 12-MW wind farm. (a) Active power. (b) Frequency.

figure 8. The battery energy storage system installed by ENERCON at the EDF R&D Concept Grid (France).

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 To compensate for their variable and dispersed nature,
the aggregation of resources, including storage, allows for
the better reliability of services provided.

However, even if the volume that could be provided
looks promising in theory, current business models tested
in several European countries, such as France, Spain,
and Finland, are not yet completely convincing for these
numerous resources to provide multiple grid services con-
currently. Incentives and standards need to be put in place
very quickly to make sure that the new electric vehicles
and smart meters coming to the market are designed to
provide the flexibility that will be needed shortly in the
power grid.
Coordination Between Transmission
and DSOs Is Critical
As issues occur, both at the transmission and distribu-
tion system levels, enhanced cross-system coordination is
critical. To activate flexibilities connected at the distribu-
tion level, such as generators, batteries, and demand-side
response, TSOs should ensure that they do not cause volt-
age violations or any congestion issues in the areas man-
aged by the DSOs and that these flexibilities are effec-
tively available.
As the distribution grid and corresponding data systems
are operated by the DSO, this leads to enhanced exchanges
at the TSO/DSO interface and the development of new tools
to allow the required and acceptable level of information
provided to the TSO by the DSO. Such information may bet-
ter enable the TSO to understand what amount of active and
reactive power is available for flexibility services. Moreover,
a DSO can use the flexibilities located in its system to solve
local active and reactive power needs as it encounters issues

DSO Environment TSO Environment

Distribution Grid
Local Reactive
Active
Power
Power

Distributed Resources
Ancillary Services
Local
Market Reactive
Distributed Resources
Agents Power
Market
Distributed Resources
DSO Managed

Global
Traffic Light Active Power
Qualification Market

TSO Managed
Grid Dynamic
Equivalent
Model

Grid Stability Analysis

figure 9. An overview of the Flexibility Hub. (Source: EU-SysFlex Roadmap.)

july/august 2022 ieee power & energy magazine 53

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 such as voltage violations, back-feed phenomena, and con-
gestions. This can impact the number of services left avail-
able to serve the TSO needs.
Several tools have been developed and tested to ensure
the following capabilities:
✔✔ improve the observability of the DSO grid
✔✔ improve the accuracy and forecasting of power flows
in the distribution network
✔✔ demonstrate flexibility services
✔✔ demonstrate seamless data exchanges and coordina-
tion between the TSO and DSO.
The use of a standardized methodology to describe
precisely the exchanges allows for clarifying all the pro-
cesses. Based on a demonstration project led by a Ger-
man utility (E.On), a TSO (50hertz), and a DSO (Mitnetz
Strom), the system congestion management scenario of
active power provision from resources in the distribution
grid (110 kV) to the transmission grid (380 kV) details the
steps executed in the DSO procedure:
✔✔ receiving a demand from the TSO
✔✔ executing the state estimation and grid optimization
✔✔ validating the calculated load flow
✔✔ sending schedules to generators and the TSO.
The scenario details the coordination needed to prevent
congestions in the DSO network due to the activation of flex-
ibility for congestion management by the TSO. The coor-
dination process starts a day ahead and ends intraday, 2 h
before the activation of flexibility. It is strongly coupled with
the schedule of the German redispatch process. The func-
tionalities enhanced and used were as follows:
✔✔ state estimation
✔✔ topology analysis
✔✔ forecast network states
✔✔ active power capability calculation.
Incorporating grid limitations and capabilities in the
flexibility activation procedure prevents violations. In the
Portuguese demonstration project called Flexibility Hub, as
sketched in Figure 9, a similar approach with a “traffic light”
DSO procedure based on a multitemporal optimal power
flow tool checks that no distribution grid constraint is vio-
lated before offering active power flexibility (green light).
It technically qualifies the resources in the distribution net-
work available for service provision to the TSO at the TSO/
DSO connection point.
By exchanging accurate dynamic views of the distribu-
tion grid in frequency and voltage at TSO/DSO interface
nodes, system services procurements from resources con-
nected to the DSO were more efficiently activated. Services
could be used jointly by TSOs and DSOs to benefit both
operators. However, sometimes operators may be in com-
petition for the use of the same service. A priority process
is under discussion before distribution network-connected
assets can be used on a larger scale.
54 ieee power & energy magazine
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Conclusion
Increasing the share of variable renewable generation in the
power system toward a net-zero emissions system changes
the way to operate it. Decentralized, variable, and IBRs cre-
ate new challenges in balancing, stability, restoration, and
congestion management. However, the way they are oper-
ated can contribute to addressing these challenges. The
renewable generation expected to constitute a dominant part
of the future system can provide new flexibility services.
To compensate for their variable and dispersed nature, the
aggregation of resources, including storage, allows for the
better reliability of services provided.
Operating and controlling many distributed sources rely
on smart standardized information and communication sys-
tems to exchange secure and accurate data. Furthermore,
seamless coordination between the TSO and DSO allows
for the efficient operation of an increasingly decentralized
system. Additionally, sustainable and low-carbon solutions
in generation and storage are considered to complement the
variable generation share when it is not producing, not only
for the provision of system services but also to balance the
system at all times.
Acknowledgments
This article includes results from the European Union (EU)-
SysFlex project supported by the European Union’s Horizon
2020 Research and Innovation program.
For Further Reading
EU-SysFlex, “European power system flexibility roadmap,”
2022. [Online]. Available: https://eu-sysflex.com/eu-sysflex
-project-summary-report-project-roadmap
R. Bolgaryn, Z. Wang, A. Scheidler, and M. Braun, “Ac-
tive power curtailment in power system planning,” IEEE
Open Access J. Power Energy, vol. 8, pp. 399–408, Oct.
2021, doi: 10.1109/OAJPE.2021.3118445.
V. Gomes, Y. Wang, A. Breton, M. Mourier, L. Holicki,
and M. Letzel, “Provision of FCR reserve by wind power
plants: Capability and performance assessment based on ex-
perimental results,” in Proc. 19th Wind Solar Integr. Work-
shop Conf., 2020.
Réseaux d’Avenir, “Prospective 2050 report,” 2021.
[Online]. Available: https://www.reseauxdavenir.com/
prospective-2050-les-differents-scenarios-selon-enedis
Biographies
Marie-Ann Evans is with EDF R&D, Paris-Saclay Lab,
Palaiseau, 91120, France.
Caroline Bono is with EDF R&D, Paris-Saclay Lab,
Palaiseau, 91120, France.
Ye Wang is with EDF R&D, Paris-Saclay Lab, Palaiseau,
91120, France.
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