Providing Frequency Containment Reserve With Cellular Network Power Infrastructure

In any electricity grid system, a balance must be found at all times between production and demand. However, the growing use of renewable energies poses new challenges for grid operators, i.e., imbalances that can cause undesirable effects on the electricity network, including frequency deviations. In response, ancillary services have been introduced to serve as mechanisms to support the continuous flow of electricity, ensuring that demand and production are met in real-time. Given the rapid response capabilities of batteries, battery owners are encouraged to participate in one of the most crucial ancillary services, the Frequency Containment Reserve (FCR). Through such participation, battery owners can generate new revenue opportunities and support the stability of the electricity grid. In this study, we explore mathematical models and heuristics for planning and coordinating cellular network systems interested in providing FCR-D ancillary services. By leveraging spare battery capacity associated with their multiple cellular base stations, communications service providers (CSPs) emerge as a potential player in this market. We compare different mathematical models and heuristics applied to the Swedish frequency market, considering a CSP with one thousand cellular base stations. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed models in terms of transparent participation, profit and associated costs. Furthermore, we validate the technical and economic feasibility of frequency regulation provided by cellular network systems, thus revealing a new potential source of revenue for CSPs.