Hitachi ABB Power Grids has launched a year-long trial of a hybrid solution, which combines a statcom (static compensator) with a synchronous condenser, working with SP Energy Networks, the University of Strathclyde and the Technical University of Denmark.
As part of the trial, Hitachi ABB Power Grids has installed a strategic 275 kilovolt (kV) substation on SP Energy Networks’ transmission network near Glasgow in Scotland. The project partners will now evaluate the installation’s performance over the year-long trial. The hybrid solution combines traditional technology with power electronics and a hybrid control. The outcome is a system that is capable of delivering a combination of fast reaction, spinning capacity and short circuit control. The solution will inject or absorb energy into the network to maintain the voltage level within the required limits. In effect, it will provide a spinning reserve over a few seconds until other resources, such as a battery energy storage system (BESS) or a reserve generator, can be brought online. At Neilston substation near Glasgow a static synchronous compensator (statcom) operates in parallel with a synchronous condenser, connected to the bus via a three-winding power transformer. The statcom utilises Modular Multilevel Converter (MMC) valve technology, while the synchronous condenser is a 4-pole motor with brushless excitation system.
