Dynamic management in overhead lines: A successful case of reducing restrictions in renewable energy sources integration

•Application of the ampacity control system is necessary for wind energy integration.•DLR application reduced the time in which wind farms were out of service by 4100h in 44 months.•DLR application increased the energy supplied by wind farms by 70.9GWh in 44 months.•DLR application saved more than 7800t of CO2 in 44 months. The total renewable wind energy capacity of Spain currently accounts for more than 20% of the total installed energy capacity, which makes integration into the grid challenging for wind farm owners as well as Distribution System Operator (DSO). Electrical companies require new techniques to integrate renewable energies safety and with low investment costs. Dynamic line rating (DLR) is one of these techniques, and is used by DSOs to maximise the capacity of existing infrastructure. This paper presents a successful case of DLR application by a DSO over several years to reduce the time that wind farms were out of service due to an excess of electrical energy generated. Over the period from January 2015 to September 2018, the application of the DLR technique prevented 4,100 hours of out-of-service time, increasing the energy supplied by the wind farms by 70.9 GWh and by extension saving 7,800 tons of CO2.