The Inter-oPEn 2-Day Workshop took place at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) in Barcelona on 30 September and 1 October. It brought together doctoral candidates, academics, and industry experts who aim to contribute to the development of multi-vendor HVDC grids. The event presented a unique opportunity for knowledge sharing, allowing doctoral candidates to present their research, explore new solutions, and discuss methods for a swift move toward an interoperable HVDC network.
The first day of the workshop was dedicated to doctoral research presentations, with ten candidates presenting their work on various research topics across HVDC technology, both technical and legal aspects. The topics covered various areas, including advanced converter control techniques and HVDC grid stability, as well as a partially open approach and regulatory frameworks for multi-vendor systems. Each session provided useful insights into a particular area of research and possible collaboration among the doctoral candidates. The diversity of research reflected the core strength of Inter-oPEn, the interdisciplinary doctoral training programme.
On the second day, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Juan Velásquez from FH Dortmund gave a lecture on harmonic impedance estimation, a crucial subject for the stability and performance of HVDC grids. Professor Velásquez gave a thorough overview of harmonic impedance estimation techniques, covering the theoretical ideas with practical industrial examples. The workshop was very interactive, and we gained a better understanding of how harmonics impact HVDC operation. The day also featured an interesting event, where doctoral candidates took part in a roundtable discussion, fostering collaboration across various research topics. The main goal of the activity was to enable the doctoral candidates to find common ground, share methodologies, and discuss future joint research possibilities within the Inter-oPEn network.
To conclude the 2-day workshop, all the participants enjoyed an exclusive guided tour of the UPC laboratory facilities, where we had the opportunity to see the ongoing experimental research in HVDC systems, such as the implementation of Modular Multilevel Converter (MMC) in different system-level topologies and Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) testing. The Inter-oPEn workshop highlighted the importance of collaboration and interdisciplinary research in developing the next emerging multi-vendor HVDC network. It was an exciting event, and we left with renewed energy, valuable connections, and a shared commitment to advancing innovation in the European energy infrastructure.
By Musa Mathew and Emmanuel Sule