Technology outlook and power system development opportunities to strengthen the Transmission System in the Mediterranean region

The replacement of traditional thermal turbine generators with distributed RES generation will diminish the overall system inertia and reduce the overall system's dispatchability. In order to maintain the same security and controllability as in existing electrical power grids, it will be necessary the implementation of solutions to increase the reliability and security of power supply despite the growing share of electricity being generated from intermittent RES. In this paper a technology outlook will be presented including challenges and opportunities for grid development planning taking into consideration the perspective of a high standing transmission utility and an HVDC transmission and FACTS technologies supplier. The main focus will be to present the recent developments in the HVDC technology and possible enhancement opportunities to the traditional FACTS technologies to support active and reactive power control.