IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v18y2025i14p3888-d1706630.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Systematic Review of Grid-Forming Control Techniques for Modern Power Systems and Microgrids

Author

Listed:
  • Paul Arévalo

    (SYSTEC-ARISE & Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade do Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal)

  • Carlos Ramos

    (SYSTEC-ARISE & Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade do Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal)

  • Agostinho Rocha

    (SYSTEC-ARISE & Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade do Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal)

Abstract

Looking toward the future, governments around the world have started to change their energy mix due to climate change. The new energy mix will consist mainly of Inverter-Based Resources (IBRs), such as wind and solar power. This transition from a synchronous to a non-synchronous grid introduces new challenges in stability, resilience, and synchronization, necessitating advanced control strategies. Among these, Grid-Forming (GFM) control techniques have emerged as an effective solution for ensuring stable operations in microgrids and large-scale power systems with high IBRs integration. This paper presents a systematic review of GFM control techniques, focusing on their principles and applications. Using the PRISMA 2020 methodology, 75 studies published between 2015 and 2025 were synthesized to evaluate the characteristics of GFM control strategies. The review organizes GFM strategies, evaluates their performance under varying operational scenarios, and emphasizes persistent challenges like grid stability, inertia emulation, and fault ride-through capabilities. Furthermore, this study examines real-world implementations of GFM technology in modern power grids. Notable projects include the UK’s National Grid Pathfinder Program, which integrates GFM inverters to enhance stability, and Australia’s Hornsdale Power Reserve, where battery energy storage with GFM capabilities supports grid frequency regulation.

Suggested Citation

  • Paul Arévalo & Carlos Ramos & Agostinho Rocha, 2025. "A Systematic Review of Grid-Forming Control Techniques for Modern Power Systems and Microgrids," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-22, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:18:y:2025:i:14:p:3888-:d:1706630
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/14/3888/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/14/3888/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Liang Lu & Oscar Saborío-Romano & Nicolaos A. Cutululis, 2022. "Frequency Control in Power Systems with Large Share of Wind Energy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-12, March.
    2. Zejian Liu & Fengneng Li & Ping Yang & Xu Lin & Guozun Zhang, 2024. "Frequency Modulation Control of Grid-Forming Converter Based on LADRC-MI," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-13, July.
    3. Alisher Askarov & Vladimir Rudnik & Nikolay Ruban & Pavel Radko & Pavel Ilyushin & Aleksey Suvorov, 2024. "Enhanced Virtual Synchronous Generator with Angular Frequency Deviation Feedforward and Energy Recovery Control for Energy Storage System," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-26, August.
    4. Mariano G. Ippolito & Rossano Musca & Eleonora Riva Sanseverino & Gaetano Zizzo, 2022. "Frequency Dynamics in Fully Non-Synchronous Electrical Grids: A Case Study of an Existing Island," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-24, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ozan Gül, 2025. "Dynamic Load Flow in Modern Power Systems: Renewables, Crypto Mining, and Electric Vehicles," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-24, March.
    2. Ronglu Wang & Lu Zhang & Chenyang Shi & Chunqiu Zhao, 2025. "A Review of Gravity Energy Storage," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(7), pages 1-15, April.
    3. Alisher Askarov & Yuly Bay & Ruslan Ufa & Pavel Radko & Pavel Ilyushin & Aleksey Suvorov, 2024. "Signatures and Mechanism Analysis of Converter-Grid Subsynchronous Oscillations," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-28, December.
    4. Xiaolian Zhang & Baocong Lin & Ke Xu & Yangfei Zhang & Sipeng Hao & Qi Hu, 2023. "An Improved Over-Speed Deloading Control of Wind Power Systems for Primary Frequency Regulation Considering Turbulence Characteristics," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-18, March.
    5. Habib Benbouhenni & Zinelaabidine Boudjema & Nicu Bizon & Phatiphat Thounthong & Noureddine Takorabet, 2022. "Direct Power Control Based on Modified Sliding Mode Controller for a Variable-Speed Multi-Rotor Wind Turbine System Using PWM Strategy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-25, May.
    6. Muhammad Ikram & Daryoush Habibi & Asma Aziz, 2025. "Networked Multi-Agent Deep Reinforcement Learning Framework for the Provision of Ancillary Services in Hybrid Power Plants," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-34, May.
    7. Rossano Musca & Francisco Gonzalez-Longatt & Cesar A. Gallego Sánchez, 2022. "Power System Oscillations with Different Prevalence of Grid-Following and Grid-Forming Converters," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-19, June.
    8. Musca, Rossano & Vasile, Antony & Zizzo, Gaetano, 2022. "Grid-forming converters. A critical review of pilot projects and demonstrators," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 165(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:18:y:2025:i:14:p:3888-:d:1706630. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.