ON THE OPERATION AND CONTROL OF ISOLATE ELECTRIC SYSTEMS WITH MIXED GENERATION: THE CASE OF CORSICA

Corsica is considered an isolated system, in that it is not part of the interconnected European network: a power imbalance can lead to very fast frequency/voltage variation and possibly load shedding, due to the small size of the electrical system. Corsica has a high share of renewable energy (mainly hydro and photovoltaic), but it is still dependent on thermal production (from small power plants, with fuel imported by boat) and imports (from Sardinia via an AC link and from Italy via an HVDC link). The high share of Distributed Energy Resources already poses challenges that interconnected systems may face in a near future: fast variability, low system inertia (lack of rotating machines), reliability of generation to voltage transients. EDF in Corsica (and in other French islands) handles the Transmission and Distribution Network and is the main producer, and sole commercial operator as no energy market exists in an isolated system. This integrated model offers the possibility to develop and test new methods and technologies interacting both with the network, as well as with conventional and renewable production.