Investigating Renewable Energy Integration into the TRNC Power System
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus has a huge potential for solar energy. It is one of the best places in Europe to utilize solar irradiation to produce electrical energy. However being an island country, the electric power grid is very sensitive to electricity production coming from most renewable energy sources (mainly solar and wind based). One problem is the intermittency of renewable sources, for example if the weather gets cloudy PV based solar power production immediately is reduced and sometimes even hits zero. In such a case the power grid needs to find another source to immediately replace this lost power. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus power grid is limited in its response to sudden changes in power production and this can lead to power outages. If an island grid is connected to a much bigger power grid, this problem can be solved with the use of an interconnection between grids. This project investigated how much renewable energy, mainly solar energy, can be integrated into the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus power grid. In trying to quantify this, the limitations of the grid was also analyzed. Furthermore the study was enhanced to include an analysis for renewable energy integration in the case of an interconnection to Turkey.
The project addressed a global problem for island power grids. As air pollution is alarmingly increasing, there is a need for using clean renewable energy sources for electricity production. This research investigated the possibility of including solar PV power stations into an island network and highlighted the benefits and limitations.
The goal was to assess how much solar power can be injected into the TRNC power grid. This was achieved for the regular operation cases, however stability analysis for emergency cases is left to be done under another project. The project helps in presenting a case study for island power grids, by using real life data. KIBTEK (The electrical power company of TRNC) provided all the data needed to model the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus power grid. A stability analysis still needs to be done to see the frequency problems stemming from the usage of renewable energy sources (especially solar and wind).
KIBTEK can use the results of this project, to plan for more solar PV power plants in their power grid.
Outcomes of the project was shared with the community through newspaper interviews and TV programs. It raised awareness about the usage of renewable energy sources.
Research Group
Former SEES student Ahsanul Rafi also helped in running simulations for the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus grid.
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