Synthetic inertia impact on inter-area oscillations of the Continental Europe power system

The overall kinetic energy reduction due to increasing share of converter-interfaced generation (CIG) has been investigated so far by several works for systems of different types and sizes. The so called synthetic inertia is one of the most common and reviewed solutions to the issue of system inertia reduction. The paper investigates the effects of synthetic inertia as frequency service provided by the CIG sources for the Continental Europe (CE) synchronous area using a detailed large scale dynamic model. The model - provided in the basic form by the System Protection & Dynamics (SP&D) group of the ENTSOE - is properly developed substituting a determined amount of synchronous machines with CIG sources. The CIG sources implemented the typical current vector control and the inclusion of synthetic inertia schemes. The system is then analyzed through combined time-domain simulations and modal analysis computations, exploring the effects of CIG sources participation to the frequency response of the CE system when delivering synthetic inertia against power unbalances. The specific impact on the inter-area oscillations of the system is recognized and discussed.