FlexPlan creates a new innovative grid-planning tool whose ambition is to go beyond the state of the art of planning methodologies by including the following innovative features: assessment of the best planning strategy by analysing in one shot a high number of candidate expansion options provided by a pre-processor tool, simultaneous mid- and long-term planning assessment over three grid years (2030, 2040, 2050), incorporation of a full range of cost–benefit analysis criteria into the target function, integrated transmission distribution planning, embedded environmental analysis (air quality, carbon footprint, landscape constraints), probabilistic contingency methodologies in replacement of the traditional N-1 criterion, application of numerical decomposition techniques to reduce calculation efforts and analysis of variability of yearly renewable energy sources (RES) and load time series through a Monte Carlo process.

The new methodology is applied to analyse real-size grid planning scenarios at 2030-2040-2050 on six regional cases encompassing altogether most of the European continent. Additionally, a pan-European scenario delivers border conditions to initialize in a coherent way the 6 regional cases. Analysing the results of the regional cases will allow to provide indications on the potential role of flexibility and storage as a support of T&D planning as well as guidelines for National Regulatory Authorities for the adoption of opportune measures.

Partnership :