Engel, MerlinMerlinEngelNewe, HannesHannesNeweBabazadeh, DavoodDavoodBabazadehBecker, ChristianChristianBecker2026-08-112026-08-112026-0422nd IET International Conference on AC and DC Power Transmission, ACDC Europe 2026https://hdl.handle.net/11420/64330The ongoing energy transition increases the complexity of power system operation and planning, particularly at the distribution system level. Rising electrification and decentralized generation challenge the existing grid infrastructure. Integrating direct current (DC) technology into alternating current (AC) distribution systems offers significant potential to enhance operational flexibility and reduce grid reinforcement needs. This paper contributes to the development of combined methods for the operation and planning of DC links in AC distribution systems by providing a better understanding of the mutual dependence between the choice of operational use cases and grid location. It investigates implications of the grid location for the operational use cases minimisation of active power losses, minimisation of relative branch current loading and minimisation of node voltage deviations. The three use cases are applied to four configurations of a benchmark system. These configurations represent a reference case without a DC link and three different locations for the integration of a single DC link. The results show that the benefit of integrating a DC link into an existing AC distribution system strongly depends on the location of the DC link. Furthermore, the implications of each location also depend on the chosen operational use case.en2732-4494202641419Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)Dc LinkDistribution SystemOperationOptimal Power FlowPlanningTechnology::621: Applied Physics::621.3: Electrical Engineering, Electronic EngineeringConference Paper10.1049/icp.2026.2260