Flexible Operation of High Voltage Distribution Network for Transmission Congestion Mitigation in Urban Power Grid With Spatio-Temporal Load

Abstract

This paper investigates the integration of high-voltage distribution network (HVDN) load transfer and electric vehicle (EV) rescheduling as a strategy for mitigating transmission congestion in urban power grids (UPGs). To facilitate a simplified network representation, a transformer unit is introduced for modelling the HVDN topology. A comparative analysis of four operational scenarios—namely, the load curtailment scenario, HVDN load transfer scenario, EV rescheduling scenario and combined scenario of EV rescheduling and HVDN load transfer—demonstrates that the proposed combined strategy achieves the minimal levels of load curtailment and HVDN switching operations. These results highlight the synergistic benefits of jointly leveraging supply-side flexibility through network reconfiguration and demand-side flexibility through EV scheduling. The study underscores the importance of co-optimising grid topology and EV charging behaviour to improve the operational efficiency and reliability of UPGs.