Voltcontrol

Voltcontrol is the first initiative to cluster MCCS developments across the Elia Group. It leverages the Grid Monitoring, Control and Calculations products to achieve secure and optimised voltage management for the control centres of both TSOs, 50Hertz and Elia. As the power system undergoes strong decentralisation, integrates rising volumes of renewable energy, and phases out traditional power plants, voltage behaviour becomes increasingly volatile.

This increasing grid complexity leads to operators performing far more switching actions – growing from around 10 per hour today to potentially over 60 in the coming years. Voltcontrol addresses this operational challenge by supporting operators in real‑time, near real‑time, and planning processes. 

Use Case 

When, during periods of high renewable infeed, large amounts of wind and solar generation enter the grid, system operators traditionally analyse the real‑time grid situation, anticipate voltage deviations, and take corrective actions such as switching capacitors and reactors, adjusting reactive power, or issuing redispatch orders.  

Voltcontrol continuously evaluates the current grid topology and forecasted scenarios, predicts upcoming voltage issues using AI‑based and optimisation algorithms as well as proposes and directly activates optimal switching actions to keep voltages within secure limits. Over time, the system learns from previous decisions and can progressively automate more of the voltage management workflow.

Benefit 

The Voltcontrol tool offers a range of significant benefits: 

Improved Reliability: Faster, more consistent, and more accurate voltage management helps reduce the risk of faults or blackouts. 

Operator Efficiency: Routine actions can be automated, enabling operators to focus on exceptional or strategic tasks. 

Higher Renewable Integration: Advanced optimisation supports handling volatility from wind and solar inputs. 

Scalability: The modular optimisation design can be applied for tasks beyond voltage control such as congestion management or redispatching. 

Future‑proof Operations: By moving towards increasing levels of automation, Voltcontrol can gradually respond autonomously to complex grid conditions. 

How does it work? 

Data Input 
Voltcontrol ingests real‑time operational data, grid topology, forecast information, system constraints, available control means, and an objective function. This provides the foundation for assessing both current and future voltage conditions. 

Voltcontrol Optimisation   
An optimisation algorithm processes these inputs, considering time coupling and security constraints, and runs during both operational planning and real‑time operation. 

Activation 
Based on the optimisation results, Voltcontrol proposes or initiates actions that reduce operator workload. These include optimal adjustments of capacitor banks, shunt reactors, transformer tap positions, generator reactive power setpoints, and devices such as HVDC links or STATCOMs. The system supports operators through recommendations or (semi‑)automatic activation where appropriate.