The role of the Sardinian power system in the EU supergrid

The paper provides an overview of the impact of extensive deployment of local and external renewable energy sources in the Sardinian power system and discusses the main challenges faced in integrating current and forecasted high shares of renewable-based generation technologies. It presents the 2030 scenarios for the Sardinian grid and the results of steady-state analyses in extreme renewable generation and consumption conditions. These results are finally combined with the option for further interconnections with North Africa and Europe. A new HVDC link between Algeria and Sardinia to export solar energy from the South to the North of the Mediterranean is envisaged following the EU Supergrid projects. In general, the article stresses that accommodating high renewable energy penetration not only requires reinforcing the electricity highways but also demands carefully planning the architecture and the interface with regional power systems. © 2013 AEIT.