Quantification of capacity credit and reserve requirements from the large scale integration of wind energy in the french power system

Abstract : The paper presents results of a detailed study carried out to simulate the integration of large amount of wind power in the French power system. The targets set for France are between 10_000 and 14_000 MW of installed wind capacity by year 2010. In order to simulate the projected wind production, hourly wind speed measurements from 40 sites spread over the country and covering a period of 3 years are used. The data reflect both temporal and spatial correlations that are proper to the climate conditions in France. Then, realistic scenarios are built for the installation of several levels of wind power based on appropriate assumptions. The simulation of each scenario provides a detailed profile of the wind production at a national level. The paper presents the level of guaranteed wind power that is provided for given probability for each scenario. The variability of the production is analyzed in order to define the reserve or storage requirements to achieve a secure integration of wind power. Finally, an analysis is presented on how wind generation can be integrated in the national power generation mix in France.