Mitigating the Grid Impact of Megawatt Heavy-Duty Electric Truck Charging
J.P. Severrien (TU Delft - Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science)
G.R. Chandra Mouli – Mentor (TU Delft - DC systems, Energy conversion & Storage)
L. Shams Ashkezari – Mentor (TU Delft - DC systems, Energy conversion & Storage)
M. Sartori – Mentor (TU Delft - DC systems, Energy conversion & Storage)
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Abstract
The electrification of heavy-duty transport requires the large-scale integration of Megawatt Charging Stations at highway rest areas and fuel stations. This infrastructure imposes significant challenges to medium-voltage (MV) distribution networks due to their high power demand, clustered charging events and limited predictability. These characteristics could lead to voltage deviations, increased line loading, and additional stress on grid assets. In this study, the grid impact of Heavy-Duty Electric Vehicle (HDEV) charging stations of varying sizes is investigated and the effectiveness of BESS-based mitigation strategies under the constant and different network configurations is evaluated. Using time-series power flow simulations in MATLAB/Simulink, the impact of unmitigated HDEV charging is analyses in a radial MV distribution network topology. The results show that the dominant limiting factors of HDEV integration are voltage deviations and increased line loading. Upstream transformer loading does not form the bottleneck in the investigated network. To address these impacts, a number of local Energy Management System strategies are evaluated, including heuristic and optimisation-based control.
The results show that with BESS-based mitigation, serving both the charging station operator and grid operator interests, effectively restores network voltage stability and reduces peak power demand at the charging station. Differences in control strategies have shown distinct charging and discharging patterns of the BESS, which affect line loading and transformer utilisation. Heuristic control provides robust peak shaving by reducing active grid power demand, whereas optimisation-based control showed an improved economic performance and smoother voltage regulation, especially when reactive power is used for voltage support. Simulation with multiple charging stations and decentralised BESS control for voltage regulation resulted in unstable network behaviour, highlighting the necessity of a centrally coordinated voltage regulation mechanism.
Overall, this study provides new insights into the trade-offs in BESS-based mitigation strategies in terms of voltage stability, congestion management and BESS operation for the integration of HDEV charging stations. The findings underscore the importance of coordinated control of decentralised assets to ensure reliable grid integration of these multi-megawatt and highly variable loads.