Power Plant Dispatching in Thailand

Warit Rattanachuen
Power System Control and Operation Division
Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, Thailand
E-mail : warit.r@egat.co.th

1. Abstract
Thailand Electricity Supply Industry (ESI) is the single buyer model that most electricity is
generated and transmitted via the main grid system which is operated by Electricity
Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT). The optimized dispatching is done by SCU
(EGAT system control unit) who is the System Operator (SO) regulated by Energy
Regulatory Commission (ERC). For the reason of transparency, SCU is treated as a ringfencing unit, thence the optimization objective is the countrys least cost. EGAT (power
plants and transmission system) capital, debt and return are earned in the based electricity
tariff; whereas private power producers earn capital, debt and return in Availability/Capacity
Payment, thence pass through via the adjustment tariff. Thus, only the variable cost from both
EGAT power plants and private power producers that are related with the output power
dispatched by EGAT, which will be considered as main variable in dispatching principal and
pass through the adjustment tariff. As general power system, many constraints are taken into
account in dispatching process. Transmission system constraints force some generating units
to be must-run units; nevertheless the other transmission system constraints limit power
output from some power stations. Gas supply and pipe line constraints limit generation from
the group of plants; therefore the secondary fuel such as fuel oil or diesel oil will be the
alternative in dispatching consideration. The commercial constraints both from fuel supply
agreements and power purchase agreements force some power plants to be the must take
generating capacity; in the same manner of irrigation requirement from reservoir in Thailand.
In the operational planning phase, the commercial Linear Programming optimizer and
equations are developed by universities using in long-term (1-5 years ahead) and short-term
(day and week ahead) generation planning. The medium-term (1-4 months ahead) generation
planning is done via the in-house worksheet. Power system simulation software is employed
to simplify transmission constraints that are taken into account in generation operation

planning. Furthermore computers at the control center support the real-time system
management, and economic dispatching which is calculated by the software of energy
management system. The dispatching target is sent from the control centers computer to the
power plants control system via data communication that is a close system. Real-time
network analysis, contingency analysis and security enhancement help operators to maintain
standard security. Other tools outside the control centers computer such as, Wide Area
Monitoring or fault locator also support operators to control the power system.

2. Introduction
Thailand Electricity Supply Industry (ESI) is the single buyer model as shown in Fig1.
Around 90% of power consumption is generated, transmitted and distributed via the stateowned utility system, and the rest power is generated and supplied by Small Power Producers
(SPPs) on their system. The power is generated by both the state-owned utility named EGAT
and private power producers, but it is transmitted by EGAT and is distributed by the stateowned power distribution utilities. Because EGAT operates transmission system and most
power is transferred on EGAT system; thus, EGAT is both the power purchaser and the
system operator in Thailands ESI. The principal of power supply in Thailand is standardized
power delivery with reasonable price and Thais electricity tariff is based on the pass-through
principal. Same as general system operators, SCU dispatch generators based on economical
objective function with security and commercial constraints; moreover, they control
transmission main grid network that is 230 kV (kilo-Voltage) and 500 kV. The following
topics will explain about objective function, dispatching constraints and methodology both in
the operational planning phase and the real-time operational phase.

Fig1 Thais Electricity Supply Industry

Fig2 Generation capacity sharing

3. Objective Function
In dispatching process, the economic is treated as the objective function; same as, in the
general power system. To understand the objective function, EGAT organization and
electricity tariff are necessary to be described. EGAT is the state-enterprise organization, and
was established as the power utility in 1969. Besides, EGAT take responsibilities in power
generation and transmission for the whole country; therefore, EGAT operates system to
minimize the total cost of electricity supply that is different from any business companies
who try to maximize profit as their target. Because EGAT owns around 47% of the power
capacity in EGAT system as shown in Fig2, so the public may not trust in EGAT system
operation and dispatching. Thus, the regulatory body called Energy Regulatory Commission
(ERC) was set in 2007 for monitoring energy system operation including the system operator,
EGAT. Therefore, Ring-fencing system operator, account unbundling and system control
license are mechanisms to regulate the EGAT system operator.

Moreover, the suitable tariffs eliminate EGATs incentive to unreasonably dispatch with his
own generators. The generators revenue from both the state owned and the private owned
consists two parts. The first part is paid to cover equity, debt, interest and return including
fixed operation and maintenance costs. So EGAT receives the first part tariff from customers
directly via the base electricity tariff that is fixed around 5 years. And IPPs (Independent
Power Producers) also receive them as the tariff; called Availability Payment (AP), which
determines the AP rate in Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), and AP is paid when the
generator has availability to generate power with determined characteristics. The AP is not
related to energy generation, it results with IPP availability only; thus, EGAT dispatching
will not affect to Availability Payment. Another part of the generation tariff is Energy
Payment (EP) that directly relates with energy generation. EP is comprised of fuel cost and
variable operation & maintenance costs; however, the fuel cost shares around 99% of EP.
EGAT charges some parts of the electricity tariff to cover EP payment via the fuel adjustment
tariff that is calculated every 4 months by ERC.

Since EGATs dispatching target is to minimize the total cost of electricity supply, and only
EP is effected by dispatching that 99% of EP is the fuel cost; therefore, the minimizing fuel
cost can be treated as the objective function as well. Generally, the fuel cost of each power
plant comes from plant efficiency or heat rate, and fuel price. According to the dispatching
model, the heat rate curves of EGATs power plants are derived from performance testing

and the heat rate curves of IPPs are determined in PPAs that EGAT pays IPPs at guaranteed
heat rate curve in the PPA. The difference of actual fuel consumption and calculated
consumption; which is based on the guarantee heat rate curve, is the profit or loss for each
generator.

Fig3 Generation classified by fuel

Fig4 Thais natural gas consumption sharing

Because real-time operators do not know the accurate fuel prices during operating the system,
thence the fuel prices in dispatching model are forecasted prices. When consider energy
generation classified by fuel as shown in Fig3, the major fuels are natural gas, coal and
hydro. Natural gas using in Thailand is supplied from 4 sources such as pipe gas from Gulf of
Thailand, on-shore gas, imported pipe gas from Myanmar and imported LNG (Liquefied
Natural Gas). All pipe gases that used in Thailand are set the price structure related to
delayed FO (Fuel Oil) price in regional market (Singapore oil market), thence the pipe gas
price can be forecasted with high accuracy. LNG price is related to the global gas market, so
the LNG price is forecasted with low accuracy. However, power generators in Thailand both
EGAT and private power plants purchase natural gas at Pool2 price, that is calculated by
weighted average natural gas from Gulf of Thailand deducted by the volume of natural gas in
Pool1 (Gas Separation Plants : GSP), Myanmar gas and LNG. As shown in Fig4, the gas
consumption in power sector is around 72% of natural gas in Pool2 and the Pool2 price is
calculated by weighted average method, thence SCU do not use Pool2 price in dispatching
model, they use different gas price based on source of natural gas that each power station
consumes. Moreover, the demand charge in pipe tariff is also eliminated from the model,
because it is calculated based on contracted demand without actual consumption
consideration. The next major fuel is coal, their prices are various mechanism. Because the

major domestic mining for power producers is operated by EGAT, therefore the domestic
coal price is regulated price. The imported coal using at IPPs and SPPs (Small Power
Producer) were determined price structure in the PPA, all of them are related to delayed
global coal market indices. The domestic hydro generation is not inputted the price to
dispatching model due to energy limitation, the maximize water value is the domestic hydro
operation principal, that will be described in later topic. Imported hydro power was set certain
tariff in the PPA already, only exchange rate effect to the tariff.

DSMs (Demand Side Management) are taken into account in the objective function. Almost
DSMs that cannot control by SCU are mixed in load model such as energy conservation,
TOU (Time of Use) customer that affects to daily load profile and energy storages by
customers etc. However, the utility energy storages such as pumped storage units are
considered in dispatching model. The different of SRMC (Short Run Marginal Cost) at each
time is the key in consideration. If the SRMC difference is more than pumped storage unit
efficiency losses when concern complete cycle both pumping and generating, the unit will be
dispatched.

4. Constraints
As general optimization problems, the objective function search the best result in searching
area while constraint equations set the boundary that make searching area smaller. In
principal, searching in smaller area gives worse result than searching in larger area. To
expand the searching area by reducing constraints, the more infrastructure investment is
required. However, the suitable investment and acceptable constraints were considered in
investment planning process already, therefore only constraint reduction by operation
methods such as rapid load or generator shedding schemes, energize or de-energize some
transmission line etc, are employed to expand the searching area. Finally, the constraints still
appear and constraint equations modeling are necessary in dispatching process. The
dispatching constraints can be classified to 3 groups that are technical, commercial and policy
constraints. The below sub-topic will describe detail of constraints in SCU dispatching
process.

4.1.Technical constraints
The technical constraints mean any constraints that set to support power system operation
with standard securities. The constraints are consisted of operating reserve standard that is

related to characteristics of generators, transmission system constraints that limit power

generation from a group of plants or require a minimum generation from a group of plants,
fuel gas supply constraints both quantities and quality issues, environmental restriction and
the limitation of energy from reservoir.

Operating reserve requirement

Operation reserve is classified to spinning and standby reserve. Spinning reserve is the rest
power that generators who synchronize to the system can be supply when the system need.
Spinning reserve is consisted of primary response that generators will increase the power by
themselves when detect low frequency in the system and the secondary reserve that
generators will supply more power when system operator dispatch both by verbal or
computer signal via AGC (Automatic Generation Control). EGAT system set standard
spinning reserve between 750-1500 MW (Megawatt) during peak period, the lower target is
set to cover the largest unit and the upper target is set to prevent system low efficiency due to
part load operation of generators. Moreover, the operators monitor 5 minutes spinning reserve
that should not lower than 500 MW for controlling spinning reserve quality. The 5 Minutes
reserve is calculated from the summation of power that generators can increase in next 5
minutes, they are related to loading rate and the rest power of each generator. According to
another reserve, Standby reserve is the total available units that are not synchronized to the
system. It can be divided to 3 groups based on start-up time. The quick-start group will
synchronize to the system within 30 minutes, that most of them are hydro and simple cycle
gas turbine units. The dispatchers keep quick-start reserve is not lower than 750 MW for
replacing spinning reserve when the acceptable largest incident occurred. However, the
almost hydro units are limited energy supply units and simple cycle gas turbines in Thailand
use diesel oil that is very expensive, thence the operator will start CCGT (Combined Cycle
Gas Turbine) to replace quick-start reserve units and shutdown them after CCGT
synchronized to the system. Normally, SCU keep at least 1500 MW CCGT as standby
reserve any time. The rest non-synchronized units are normal standby reserve units that do
not generate power due to higher generation cost. Fig5 shows reserve requirement in EGAT
system.

Fig5 Operating reserve requirement

Fig6 Must run capacity in Southern

Fig7 Must run capacity in Metropolis

Fig8 Generation limitation in North-eastern

Transmission system constraints

Transmission system constraints have 2 types, one determines a unit or a group of generating
units must be run and another limits upper generation from a group of generating units.
Transmission system constraints are come from system analysis both in steady state and
dynamic condition. In EGAT system, must run units are determined in area that generation
capacity is lower than load requirement, because transmission lines that will import power to
the area have limitation such as Southern area of Thailand as shown in Fig6, etc. Other cases
of must run units are affected by reactive power demand such as Metropolis area as shown in
Fig7, etc. On the opposite site, the upper limitations are set in the area that generation
capacity is higher than load requirement, because transmission lines that will export power
from the area have limitation such as North-eastern area of Thailand as shown in Fig8, etc.
However, SCU do not determine the constraints only for normal operation but they concern
to contingency, EGAT determined the standard that the outage must not be happen when
single contingency occurred called N-1 criteria. Transmission system analyzers determine the
upper limitation and the must run units that are simplified information to generation operation

planning model. During real-time operation, the control centers computer simulates routinely
and announces the operators when contingency outage found. The operators will adjust the
generation or transmission operation to mitigate the contingency outage.

Natural gas pipe line constraints

Similar transmission system, gas pipe system also has limitation. Natural gas in Thailand is
supplied by PTTPLC (PTT public company limited) that is shared more than 50% by
government. In investment planning process, the pipe system was designed to reach foreseen
demand without contingency security standard. The GSAs (Gas Supply Agreement) between

Fig9 Pipe line limitation

Fig10 Daily gas using variation limitation

Fig11 East gas quality variation

Fig12 Myanmar gas quality

PTTPLC and EGAT included guarantee quantity contracts for IPPs (EGAT guarantees
natural gas minimum take at IPPs) was made based on the cabinet resolution that determined
the power sector is the last priority of gas supply. Moreover, almost GSAs between PTTPLC
and EGAT were made based on best effort principal since PTTPLC was a state-own
organization but they are still effective. Thus, gas supply to power plants and pipe line
capacity for power sector are decreased when unforeseen demands happen. The unforeseen

demands are industrial, transportation and GSP. Fig9 shows the example of gas pipe line
limitation. Moreover, to maximize gas supply, the limitation of daily gas use variation is set.
It is related to pressure control in the pipe-line such as the west gas system that gas is
imported from Myanmar as shown in Fig10. These are quantity constraints of natural gas
supply, but another is quality issue. New gas-fired power plants are CCGT that require
narrow band of gas quality, while natural gas supply in Thailand has various qualities. As
shown in the Fig11, PTTPLC will vary the DPCU (Dew Point Control Unit) gas or LNG
sending-out when demand or supply changed and it will be effect to quality of gas supply in
east pipe system. The west pipe system is worse than east pipe system due to various quality
of gas production as shown in Fig12 and no any treated unit. The daily minimum and
maximum using are set as constraints to dispatching model especially when some incidents
occurred such as gas production shortfall, compressor outage, pipe line outage etc, that the
constraints will be increased from normal.

Fig13 Environmental issues

Fig14 Thai water management diagram

Environmental restriction
Many environmental issues affect to every power plants. At least they must control
Particulate, Sulfur-dioxide and Nitrogen-oxide emission included water temperature released
as determined by related laws. Moreover, they must control pollutions included above
pollutions that may control better than laws as determined in the EIA (Environmental Impact
Analysis) or EHIA (Environmental and Health Impact Analysis). Because the EIA and EHIA
concern to public participation both construction and operation phases and CSR (Cooperate
Social Responsibility) is trend in Thais ESI, tri-parties committee is established for each
power plant. It is consisted of power plant representative, related government agency and
local communities. Many times, the committee determines additional environmental

restrictions, and power plants must concern during operation. The summarized environmental
issues in Thailand are shown in the Fig13.

Reservoir limitation energy

Almost hydro power plants that supply power to EGAT system are reservoir type both in
Thailand and Laos PDR. After rainy season finished, the water in reservoir is at the highest
level of the year. It is released during dry season and the water is at the lowest level of the
year before rainy season begin. In Thailand, the water storage in reservoirs is not for power
generation, it is for irrigation as the first priority, power generation is only by-product.
Therefore, reservoir management is done by RID (Royal Irrigation Department), they inform
water requirement of each river basin to EGAT and EGAT operate the hydro power station to
release determined water volume, the target of operation is maximizing water value. In
operational planning phase, RID informs water requirement to EGAT routinely, the
information is provided for coming season as weekly basis and confirms week-ahead
requirement as daily basis. The cooperated diagram of water management in Thailand is
shown in Fig14. Different from Thais reservoirs, the reservoirs in Laos PDR were designed
for power generation and almost energy is exported to EGAT system, so the PPAs allow
EGAT to manage majority water in the reservoir. The minority water is managed by Laos
PDR government agencies or power plant due to local water management and domestic
power generation. EGAT also plan to use water in Laos PDR reservoirs based on water value,
almost energy is generated during high demand period or during emergency situation. EGAT
operation planners divide the total limited energy in the reservoir to be daily energy
generation till end of season. They review the energy generation plan of Laos PDR hydro
plants every week. The operators dispatch hydro power plants based on daily water
requirement for Thailand reservoir and daily energy plan for Laos PDR reservoir, and they
will increase or decrease the generation based on updated priorities for emergency plan.

4.2.Commercial constraints
Commercial constraints are come from the right and characteristic in any agreements that are
PPAs and GSAs. IPPs PPAs are designed based on fully dispatch basis, the dispatcher can
vary power generation or start-stop generator as much as they required but not more than the
right that determined in the PPA. The PPAs determine EGAT right with the certain number
of loading/de-loading rate, start-stop by EGAT per year and some generators limit daily load
variation. Moreover, EGAT must guarantee minimum natural gas or coal consumption in any

contract year, thence EGAT made MGSA (Master Gas Sale Agreement) with PTTPLC and
guarantee energy purchasing from coal-fired IPP.

SPPs PPAs are different from IPPs PPAs because SPP programs were introduced to
improve energy efficiency of country and promote renewable energy. The SPPs receive
higher tariff to support them and bring the programs to be successful. SPPs are separated to
non-firm and firm PPAs. EGAT cannot dispatch non-firm SPPs who can deliver power to the
system any time. The non-firm SPP generates power from various sources such as solar,
wind, biomass, biogas, mini hydro, and natural gas (Co-generation). EGAT can dispatch firm
SPPs as month-ahead schedule and guarantee to purchase energy at 80% of availability
energy generation because they must plan to supply power and steam (in case co-generation)
to their customers in industrial estates. The majority of firm SPPs are co-generation used gas
or coal and the rest are biomass power plants.

PPA of hydro power in Laos PDR is another type that the tariff has only EP. The PPAs
determine generators to declare month-ahead expected energy generation and EGAT must
purchase 95-100%. In case that EGAT purchase lower than minimum take volume, take or
pay concept will be applied. However, the take or pay volume is limited especially in rainy
season to avoid unacceptable water spill volume. The exchanged energy between EGAT and
Laos PDRs system is similar non-firm SPP but the exchanged energy between EGAT and
Malaysias system is based on bidding principal, both of them declare day-ahead price on
hourly basis and the purchasing will be confirmed after price declaration.

4.3.Policy constraints
Because EGAT is a state enterprise, the government agencies may set some policies to
deviate normal system operation. According to hydro power stations, people who locate on
the river ways may be affected by water release from hydro power plants. They may call for
problem resolution, although they located on the problems site after power plant started the
operation or they stay into the river ways. When people face the problem, local government
agencies or power plant management often set the water release restriction based on people
demands. The next example of policy constraint is renewable energy, the cabinet ordered
power utilities to purchase renewable generation as much as generators can produce.

According to natural gas that is the major fuel of Thais power generation, some power plants
must be run at maximum for high using sale gas from GSPs that make GSPs produce LPG
(Liquefied Petroleum Gas) at maximum volume, because the government aid LPG customers
to pay lower than market price and GSP can produce LPG with lower cost than imported
LPG because GSPs purchase gas in Pool1. On the opposite site, some on-shore gas and
Myanmar gas are reduced supply volume to power plants because they must supply to
transportation sector as government policy. NGV (Natural Gas for vehicle) demand grew
highly due to low price when compare with gasoline or diesel oil price. Moreover, gas supply
to power sector will be cut first in emergency situation as determined by the cabinet and
replacement fuel such as fuel oil or diesel oil have supplied limitation because of special
quality need for complying environmental law and logistics problems. Normally PTTPLC,
who supply liquid fuel to EGAT at least 80% as determined by the cabinet, requires 30-60
days lead time for the supply process.

5. Methodologies
According to methodologies that EGAT employ to operate generation system with above
objective function and constraints, many tools are used in several steps. Maintenance
scheduling manages availability of power plants in the first step, next long-term operation
planners estimate power generation included fuel demand and check the limitation in both
generation and transmission system, shorter-term operation planners make the half-hourly
generation schedule for the next day and provide it to NCC (National Control Center) who
operates system in real-time included dispatching in the last step. The detail of each step will
be described in below sub-topics. Because the dispatching is demand-supply balancing
problem, the demand description is necessary for understanding methodologies that will be
described later.

5.1.Electricity Demand
The Fig15 shows daily load curve of EGAT system. It has 3 peak periods, morning and
afternoon peak periods are influenced by business and industrial demands, and the evening
peak period is come from residential load. The system load on weekdays increase at 10pm
due to TOU tariff that several medium and large industrial customers applied, the tariff
during off-peak period started at 10pm is very low. Moreover, the system load increase
sharply at 8am 1pm and 6:30pm and decrease rapidly at noon and 5pm. Thus, the operators
must be prepare the generation system to response both maximum power demand and

behavior of demand. For operational planner, the Fig16 shows monthly load profile that
related to the temperate, the load is high in summer season (March-May), and low in winter
season (November-February), because the air-condition loads affect to demand. EGAT past
records show around 300 MW changed when ambient temperate changed 1 degree Celsius.

Fig15 Daily load curve

Fig16 Monthly peak demand

5.2.Maintenance Scheduling
Grid Code determines generators to propose 7 years maintenance schedules and operational
planners consider the proposal based on availability reserve, fuel supply maintenance plan,
related constraints and replacement cost before propose revised schedule back to generator.
Both of them will finalize the schedules and review the schedules every year. Generator must
confirm outage plan quarter-ahead, month-ahead, week-ahead and day-ahead as determined
in the Grid Code. The planners use developed program that EGAT purchased a commercial
optimization tool box using Linear Programming and equations developed by domestic
universities funded by EGAT R&D (Research and Development). The program suggests the
better schedules to operational planners that will negotiate to generators based on the
suggestion. Normally, the system prefers outage during low demand period such as winter
season, Sunday, holiday and off-peak period (in case short outage). To support planner
negotiation, PPAs allow the planner set different hourly AP payment called Weight 2 years
forward, the Weight is multiplied on AP based value. The Fig17 shows example of Weight
for a power plant in a year. In the case that the generation outage proposals are related to
other transmission outage proposals or may bring system to be more risk situation, the
planner will coordinate with transmission system analyzers to find out the best outage
schedule or determine necessary constraints as shown in Fig18.

Fig17 Different Weight for managing outage

Fig18 Planned outage coordination

Fig19 Long-term planning coordination

Fig20 Medium-term planning coordination

5.3.Operational planning
The planners make the generation plan and fuel consumption routinely. The first plan in
monthly basis is called yearly planning that the plans for next 2-4 years are made every
quarter, for present and the next year are made every month. The planners use the same
software that used in the maintenance scheduling process and adjusted the plan with
additional related constraints that are not inputted to maintenance scheduling software. The
next step is monthly planning that is made on daily basis for next 4 months and review every
half of month. The planners use in-house worksheet to make monthly plan that estimate
energy generation of each generator based on fuel cost and related constraints, after that the
planners calculate fuel consumption at each power station. SCU planned to start the R&D
program for developing software for yearly and monthly planning with a domestic university
using the commercial optimization tool box that EGAT have license. According to
transmission system simulation, the planners estimate power generation of each generating
unit at afternoon peak, evening peak, light load and Sunday peak for each season since
present year to next 4 years and update them every 6 month, that are provided to transmission
system analyzer who will check the constraints using commercial power system simulation
software and feed them back to the planner. Moreover, the planner make the half an hourly

basis unit power generation on a typical weekday and Sunday in next month for rechecking
transmission system problem again. The month-ahead transmission system analysis will
concern major transmission outages. The coordination between generation planners and
transmission analyzers is shown as diagram in Fig19 and Fig20.

The shorter-term operation planning is week-ahead planning that are made on half an hourly
basis for typical weekday, Saturday and Sunday, and estimate energy generation included
fuel consumption on the rest days in week on daily basis. The planners use the developed
software by a domestic university in EGAT R&D program using the same commercial
optimization tool box that employs Linear Programming. The weekly planners concern to
coordination among generation, transmission and gas system. Any constraints and foreseen
outages in all system are considered, the long-time start-up reserved units are considered to
re-synchronize in this plan. The priorities of fuel replacement in emergency condition
included hydro extra release are set in this step. The last plan is daily planning for next day
that employ weekly plan as the guide and is made on half an hourly basis with the same
software. The changed situation is taken into account in this step, the reserved CCGT are
considered to re-synchronize in this step. The updated foreseen events in generation,
transmission and gas systems are mitigate in daily planning. Fig21 shows the diagram of
coordination in shorter-term planning.

Fig21 Short-term planning coordination

Fig22 AGC diagram

5.4.Dispatching
Normally, NCC receives generation schedule from the short-term planners. The schedule is
used as the guide to start/stop generating unit, to monitor water release from major reservoir
and to control hourly gas consumption. However, the actual system always deviates from
plan and NCC must adjust the power generation from each generator to balance demand and

supply with the objective function and constraints. EGAT dispatching is based on the Grid
Code that determined unit dispatching basis, therefore any dispatched instruction will be
made for each generating unit different from plant dispatching basis that dispatchers instruct
to plant supervisor and they will dispatch each generating unit in their plant again. The
communication between NCC and power plants has 2 types. One is verbal dispatching that is
confirmed by authorized document and NCC uses verbal dispatching to start/stop generating
units, to increase/decrease power of power stations that cannot control by using AGC, to
change or mix fuel use and to turn on/off remote control function of power stations. Another
is AGC that calculates the suitable power generation of each generating unit and sends the
signal to generating unit controlling system. AGC has many modes that are suitable for
different situation or different generator characteristics and NCC can use different mode for
each generator on the same time. CE (Controlled Economic dispatch) is employed in normal
situation that the major target is economic, the heat rate curve of each generating unit and
fuel prices are inputted to the model, the target power of each unit is calculated every 5
minutes, and the dispatch signal based on frequency deviation and target power is sent to
generators every 6 seconds. BP (Manual Base-Point) use in high load changing period or
emergency situation, the target power is inputted by the operators, and the dispatch signal
based on frequency deviation and target power is sent to generators every 6 seconds as well.
EX (External source) receive the target power from external calculation, such as another
program that limits power generation from a group of generators due to transmission line
constraint etc. BL (Base-point schedule) send target power to generator based on planned
schedule such as testing unit etc. AV (Average) mode calculates the target power from high
and low limit, it is suitable for narrow band control such as generators who limit daily load
changing cycle. Fig22 shows the diagram of AGC.

NCC does not consider economic only, they must control the security of power system. The
AGVC (Automatic Generation Voltage Control) is employed to control voltage as AGC.
NCC set the voltage target or reactive power target at their computer and the signals are sent
to power plants control system. Real-Time Network analysis (RTNET) software scans the
system every 3 minutes and Real-Time Contingency Analysis (RTCA) software finds the
system weak points every 3 minutes too. When the control computer found the weak points
from contingency checking, the Real-Time Security Enhancement (RTSENH) software will
suggest operators to adjust power generation or power flow or other to prevent the
contingency events. Moreover, the operators can use Study Network analysis (STNET)

software to capture the actual system at any time and analyze the system as lesson learning or
to find out the detail of interested events. Fig23 and Fig24 show the real-time securities
monitoring and NCC action when emergency outage requested. Moreover, Wide Area
Monitoring (WAM) supports NCC to monitor and prevent instability event especially on
regional system interconnection and Fault Locator helps NCC to analyze the incident
especially in the transmission line.

Because the NCC computer can control directly to generating units, therefore NCCs
computer is designed as a close system with duplicate control center concept. Double control
center rooms located in different provinces, double computer servers are installed and
operated redundant all time.

Fig23 Real-time securities monitoring

Fig24 Emergency outage requested

6. Conclusions
The previous topics show the dispatching is a complicated optimization problem especially in
the actual large power system. The objective function requires the corrected main variables
that the operational planners and dispatchers must analyze the relation between each related
variables and result. Many variables inputting may give the better results but it makes
optimizer to take more computation time, the computation time is a very serious issues in
operation phase especially when emergency occurred. Constraints affect the dispatching and
must be taken into account, but the constraints equations developing is a difficult job. The
software that creates the equation by itself is required. Moreover the helpful tools, the success
of dispatching is required the coordination among related energy systems and the balancing
of securities and economical objectives.