A generalized unit commitment problem formulated as a mixed integer program: a case for Rajasthan
Student name: Ms Payal Mitra
Guide: Dr Soumendu Sarkar
Year of completion: 2017
Host Organisation: TERI University
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Dr Gopal K Sarangi
Abstract: This paper studies the Problem of efficient management and coordination within the Power
Generation Sector, or the problem of ‘Unit Commitment’ in the Indian Context. The
Electricity sector is a highly complex and specialized sector, governed by the nonmanipulatable
laws of Physics. This sector, presents a large-scale combinatorial
optimization problem in terms of how to determine the optimum combination of
heterogeneous generating units that should be online and their power production schedule at
any point, such that certain constraints and objectives are met. However, India has been
employing unscientific methods of dispatching generation in form of a diluted ‘Merit Order’
Method, which has been proven to be sub-optimal world-wide. In this context, we develop
a Mixed-Integer Programming based Unit Commitment Model, that is modified to reflect
certain structural characteristics of the Indian Electricity Sector. Our model formulates the
unit commitment problem from the perspective of a state planner tasked with the
responsibility of procuring power at minimum system generation cost, such that it meets
power demand in each period, while honoring the technical details and constraints of
individual generating units. Apart from its state-owned resources, the planner also relies on
a market of long term power contracts with external generating stations outside its
jurisdiction. The model is applied on the real-life power system of Rajasthan. Through the
case of Rajasthan, we demonstrate the superiority of advanced mathematical optimization
methods such as Mixed Integer Programming in terms of substantial operational cost savings
over traditional, unscientific methods employed in India.
