Reliability worth applied to transmission expansion planning based on ant colony system

This paper proposes a new methodology to solve transmission expansion planning (TEP) problems in power system, based on the metaheuristic ant colony optimisation (ACO). The TEP problem includes the search for the least cost solution, bearing in mind investment cost and reliability worth. Reliability worth is considered through the assessment of the interruption costs represented by the index LOLC – loss of load cost. The focus of this work is the development of a tool for the multi-stage planning of transmission systems and how reliability aspects can influence on the decision-making process. The applications of the proposed methodology are illustrated through case studies carried out using a test system and a real sub-transmission network.