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Real-Time Optimization-Based Reactive Power Control Strategy for the Lanzarote-Fuerteventura Power System: A Comparative Analysis

Carolina M. Martín, Francisco Arredondo, Santiago Arnaltes, Jaime Alonso-Martínez and José Luis Rodríguez-Amenedo

Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
Campus de Leganés – Leganés, Madrid (Spain)

2026-02-15

This paper introduces a centralized reactive powermanagement strategy for the real-time (RT) operation of power systems. The proposed approach reformulates the Optimal Power Flow (OPF) problem to minimize system losses and redispatch costs while ensuring compliance with technical constraints. These include node voltage limits, line capacity, and operational limits of generating units. The strategy has been developed to integrate with the current operation of power systems, which typically relies on market mechanisms or Energy Management Systems (EMS). These solutions calculate the setpoints for dispatchable generation based on day-ahead forecasts, without actively managing reactive power and thus operating in a suboptimal point. To address this, the proposed approach enables continuous, real-time adjustment of plant setpoints within the defined optimization interval, leveraging more accurate forecasts. This aspect becomes increasingly crucial with the growth of renewable energy sources (RES). The method is tested in a real-time hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation environment, evaluating its performance over varying optimization intervals (5, 15, 30, and 60 minutes) for the Lanzarote-Fuerteventura power system. Results from a two-hour real-time experimental simulation demonstrate that the proposed strategy reduces power losses compared to the current power system operation approach, with further reductions as the optimization interval decreases.

Key words: Reactive power management, voltage control, optimal control, real-time systems, hardware-in-the loop simulation.

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