Swiss company ABB has installed a hybrid static compensator (Statcom) for transmission system operator TenneT at a substation in Borken in Germany to provide grid stability as the volume of renewable energy is ramped up.
The company said Statcom strengthens and stabilises the German power grid by providing reactive power compensation and dynamic voltage support to keep the grid stable at the required voltage.
ABB Power Grids designed the solution to meet the specific requirements of TenneT.
A huge amount of reactive power is needed to balance and stabilise the national grid with the increased use of clean power, ABB said.
This is because as more centralised fossil power generation close to consumption areas is phased out and replaced by more intermittent sources of energy – wind and solar – there is a greater need to transport electricity and thus to do more to maintain overall balance and stability, the company said.
Much of Germany’s renewable power is generated in the north and east of the country, it added.
From there, power is transmitted in bulk to the south, where there is a deficit, and as such, there is the need to balance reactive power demand.
Statcom can provide 400 MVAr of reactive power from a compact system that is easily integrated into an existing substation, thus enhancing the capacity and flexibility of power networks, ABB said.