Enhancing uncertainty management in multi-area asynchronous grids via HVDC: A distributionally robust chance constrained unit commitment approach

Abstract

The advancement of high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission technology is accelerating the evolution of large-scale power systems toward multi-area asynchronous grid (MAG) architectures. This paper proposes a unit commitment framework tailored to reserve sharing in MAGs, aiming to fully leverage the flexibility of HVDC systems to address the uncertainties introduced by renewable energy sources. The scheduling approach incorporates a response mechanism based on affine strategy for both HVDC links and conventional generator units, while a curtailment policy is introduced to enhance controllability over renewable uncertainty. At the modeling level, a distributionally robust chance constrained (DRCC) formulation is employed to reformulate uncertainty constraints, utilizing a Gaussian-based center assumption and the Wasserstein distance to characterize forecast errors of renewable generation. The proposed method is validated through simulations on a modified three-area 18-bus system, a four-area partitioned IEEE 118-bus system, and a provincial-level power grid in China. Results demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach in mitigating renewable fluctuations, enabling inter-area reserve sharing, and enhancing both the security and economic efficiency of system operations under the MAG framework.