Approaches to the Cascade Hydropower Plants Optimum Operation for Forming the Day-Ahead Electricity Market Schedule

This chapter addresses the problem of optimal using of hydro resources in a cascade of hydro power plants (HPP) based on determining the volumes of daily regulation of reservoir water levels. The relevance of the coordinated planning of all HPPs in the cascade is justified. The problem of forming load schedules for the HPP cascade based on daily water balance along the river course is defined. The main components of the information required to solve the problem at the “Water Reservoir—HPP” hydraulic unit are structured. The goal of optimizing the daily expenditure of water resources for a separate HPP according to price criteria has been formalized. The need to use additional non-price optimization criteria is substantiated, the indicative indicators of the need for such optimization are formalized, and the target function of equalizing the electrical loading capacities of HPP generators for several adjacent hours of the day is proposed. A system of restrictions has been formalized, which takes into account daily water balances, technical and ecological norms of water storage and release, as well as technical characteristics of HPP. The peculiarities of the formation of water balance equations for the HPP cascade are determined. The task of forming optimal HPP loading schedules in the cascade for the fulfillment of already concluded bilateral contracts on the production of electric energy has been formalized. A fragment of calculations is presented on the example of the problem of the daily distribution of available hydro resources for the production of electricity for the HPP in Dnipro Cascade.