Evaluation of EHV and AC/DC technologies for integration of large-scale renewable generation in Saudi Arabian network.

Renewable energy is a rapidly growing environmental-friendly alternative for electricity generation, which will supersede using fossil fuels in the near future. Renewable-based generation is usually located at remote areas, and the largescale generated power is required to be transmitted to the main load centres; thus, the main challenge facing the bulk power transmission is the precise determination of the most appropriate transmission option. This study presents a comprehensive techno-economic study for the selection of the adequate transmission option for large-scale power transmission. The proposed work aims to study different transmission alternatives to transfer 10,000 MW of renewable generated power to the load centres in the central region of Saudi Arabia. Different high-voltage AC (HVAC) voltage levels such as 725 and 500 kV, and high-voltage DC (HVDC) technologies are considered as alternatives, and a techno-economic evaluation of each option is presented. Moreover, detailed comparisons between different HVAC and HVDC technologies are introduced from technical, economic, and environmental perspective. The presented study, comparisons, and the subsequent recommendations are helpful for the network planner to evaluate different extra high-voltage (EHV) and AC/DC transmission options in terms of accessibility, loadcarrying capability, efficiency, reliability, stability, environmental impact, and economics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]