Medium-voltage direct current (MVDC PLUS®)

The grid connector: economic, flexible, powerful MV transmission. Regional HV & MV sub-transmission networks and MV distribution grids play a vital role in controlling the omnidirectional power flows that characterize today’s and even more so tomorrow’s energy ecosystems. MVDC PLUS® helps to manage this challenge and offers additional advantages.

MVDC PLUS® is Siemens Energy’ answer to the challenges that regional high-voltage transmission networks and medium-voltage distribution grids increasingly have to deal with. It makes the advantages of DC technology available for applications in AC networks.

Transmission distances grow in increasingly liberalized markets. Growing infeed from distributed power generation units causes power quality and grid stability issues. Grid infrastructure needs to be expanded, upgraded, and reconnected to handle the volatile demand for flexible electricity supply. Distribution System Operators (DSOs) require a higher degree of transmission autonomy to fulfil today’s expanded range of tasks. 

Siemens Energy’ MVDC PLUS® is the efficient, robust, reliable, and compact solution that provides answers to all these challenges. It increases transmission capabilities, strengthens the grid infrastructure, helps minimize losses, and provides reactive power compensation and load flow control.

MVDC PLUS® overview

The increasingly complex energy landscape poses several new challenges to regional transmission and distribution grids. MVDC PLUS® is the innovative universal solution that helps handle all issues smoothly.

MVDC PLUS® comes in three standardized type ratings and is based on Siemens Energy’ proven multilevel voltage-sourced converter technology. This ensures universal applicability and renders numerous benefits.

MVDC PLUS® is based on modular multilevel voltage-sourced converter (VSC) technology. This mature technology from Siemens Energy has proven its efficiency and performance in numerous HVDC PLUS® and SVC PLUS® applications.

A smart combination of advantages - MVDC PLUS® combines the best of AC and DC transmission: 

• The simple design, robustness, reliability and low costs of common AC technology that can be easily integrated in existing transmission networks
• The long-distance transmission capabilities, high transmission capacity, active power flow control, reactive power compensation, and STATCOM properties of HVDC PLUS® technology

MVDC PLUS® is based on Siemens Energy’ renowned and proven HVDC PLUS® technology. The symmetrical monopole layout basically represents the HVDC-topology slimmed down to its basic functionality. At the heart of the system are rugged and powerful multilevel voltage-sourced converters (VSCs). They produce an almost ideal sinusoidal waveform and this way ensure consistent power quality. The converter stations allow for bidirectional power flow and can operate as STATCOMs.