Analysis and Simulations of the Primary Frequency Control during a System Split in Continental Europe Power System

The occurrence of system separations in the power system of Continental Europe has been observed in recent decades as a critical event which might cause power imbalances higher than the reference incident specified per system design, representing an actual challenge for the stability and safe operation of the system. This work presents an analysis and simulations of the primary frequency control in the Continental Europe synchronous area in conditions of system separation. The adopted approach is based on fundamental aspects of the frequency-containment reserve process. The analysis takes an actual event into consideration, which determined the separation of the system in January 2021. The main purpose of the work is the development of specific models and simulations able to reproduce the actual split event. Due to specific arrangements discussed in detail, it is possible to obtain a substantial match between the simulations and the frequencies registered after the system split. The work also provides insight into the importance of the temporal sequence of power imbalances and defensive actions in the primary frequency control process. The models developed in the work are finally used to investigate the separation event under different operating conditions, such as missing defensive actions and low inertia scenarios.