979-8-3315-9706-1/25/$31.00 ©2025 IEEE Optimal Reactive Power Dispatch Solution by Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm Abantika Das Department of Electrical Engineering National Institute of Technology Agartala Agartala, India abantikadas01@gmail.com Rakesh Roy Department of Electrical Engineering National Institute of Technology Meghalaya Shilong, India rakesh.roy@nitm.ac.in Punam Das Department of Electrical Engineering National Institute of Technology Agartala Agartala, India pd01761@gmail.com Sadhan Gope Department of Electrical Engineering National Institute of Technology Agartala Agartala, India sadhan.nit@gmail.com Raj Chakraborty Department of Electrical Engineering National Institute of Technology Agartala Agartala, India rajchakraborty2105@gmail.com Diptanu Das Department of Electrical Engineering National Institute of Technology Agartala Agartala, India diptanuonline@yahoo.co.in Abstract—Optimal Reactive Power Dispatch (ORPD) is a critical optimization problem in power system operations, aiming to minimize Active Power Loss (APL) and Voltage Deviation (VD), and maintain voltage levels within acceptable limits. This study employs the Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) algorithm to solve the ORPD problem in the IEEE 30-bus system. The ABC algorithm, inspired by the foraging behavior of honeybee colonies, optimizes key control variables such as generator bus voltages, transformer tap settings, and reactive power compensations. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated by comparing it with other metaheuristic approaches, demonstrating its superior ability to reduce power losses and improve voltage profiles. Results indicate that the ABC algorithm significantly decreases APL and enhances voltage stability, outperforming conventional optimization methods. The study confirms the effectiveness and robustness of the ABC algorithm in addressing complex ORPD challenges, making it a viable tool for enhancing power system efficiency and stability. Keywords— Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm, Optimal Reactive Power Dispatch, Active Power Loss, Voltage Deviation I. INTRODUCTION Optimal Reactive Power Dispatch (ORPD) is a crucial subproblem of Optimal Power Flow (OPF), aiming to optimize the reactive power control variables to minimize objectives such as power losses, voltage deviation, and improve voltage stability. Over the past decade, the complexity of modern power systems especially with the integration of renewable energy sources (RES) has motivated the development of numerous metaheuristic optimization techniques to solve the ORPD problem. Conventional methods such as linear and non-linear programming, quadratic programming, and interior point methods were among the earliest approaches to address ORPD. However, these techniques often struggled with non-convexity, local optima, and scalability issues in large or highly uncertain systems [1-2]. In [3], applied the Rao-3 algorithm with Monte Carlo simulations to handle uncertainties from variable demand and renewables. In [4], the authors enhanced the Marine Predators Algorithm (HIMPA) with opposition-based learning and differential evolution to improve convergence in uncertain scenarios. Most recently, In [5], the authors presented a bi- level techno-economic ORPD model incorporating renewable uncertainties and cost factors, solved using a two- phase evolutionary algorithm. The authors in [6] gives an ORPD Strategies to give integrating demand response by using multi-objective grasshopper to give minimization of operation of cost and VD improvement. The authors in [7] shows the ORPD Problems solving for control variables in optimal values like levels of machine voltage. In [8], the authors are written in this paper the author presented the multiperiod version of ORPD problems in a new mathematical model, for limits on power flow and voltage magnitudes the MP-ORPD incorporates inter-temporal constraints related with number of transformers taps and capacitor banks which is being presented in this paper. The main contribution of the paper is outlined below: • Implements the ABC algorithm for ORPD in the IEEE 30-bus system. • Optimizes generator voltages, transformer tap settings, and reactive power compensation to minimize APL and VD. • Demonstrates superior performance over PSO, GSA, BFOA and BOA, ensuring better voltage regulation and system stability. • The ABC algorithm’s enhanced search mechanism effectively balances exploration and exploitation, leading to better convergence, improved voltage stability, and superior optimization performance compared to traditional metaheuristic methods. This paper's remaining sections are organized as follows: The objective functions and constraints for ORPD optimization in II. Section III explains the ABC algorithm and its Section application to ORPD. Analyzes simulation results, convergence curves, and comparisons with other algorithms in Section IV. Section V summarizes key findings and suggests future research directions. II. MATHEMATICAL FORMULATION OPF is a key optimization tool in power systems, ensuring optimal operating conditions while adhering to physical and operational constraints. A specialized form of ORPD, focuses on optimizing reactive power objectives such as enhancing voltage stability, minimizing VD, and reducing APL. To achieve these objectives, ORPD must satisfy several constraints, including maintaining bus voltage levels within permissible limits, ensuring transmission line power flows remain within capacity, and meeting reactive power 2025 7th International Conference on Energy, Power and Environment (ICEPE) | 979-8-3315-9706-1/25/$31.00 ©2025 IEEE | DOI: 10.1109/ICEPE65965.2025.11139662 Authorized licensed use limited to: National Institute of Technology - Agartala. Downloaded on September 07,2025 at 08:14:54 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.