SVC PLUS (STATCOM)

Whenever an innovative and universally applicable solution for grid enhancement is required, SVC PLUS® provides the ideal solution. Our advanced STATCOM (static synchronous compensator) with modular multilevel converter (MMC) technology provides additional benefits compared to conventional solutions for reactive power compensation. While conventional SVC installations already provide a highly dynamic solution for voltage regulation in the power grid, the modular multilevel system SVC PLUS® is even faster and offers additional benefits. Siemens Energy also offers mobile SVC PLUS® solutions that support short-term grid changes and rapid restoration after severe incidents.

SVC PLUS® combines the benefits of static synchronous compensation (STATCOM) and modular multilevel converter technology with an optimized amount of components.

Despite its outstanding performance, SVC PLUS® requires relatively few system components, which simplifies the design, planning, and engineering of new projects. The components used for SVC PLUS® comprise proven and robust components such as industrial class insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBT), reactors, capacitors, and in utility applications AC power transformers.

Thanks to modular multilevel converter (MMC) technology our SVC PLUS® offers great flexibility regarding design and layout of converters and substations. The modularity and the low number of system components also reduce commissioning time compared to complex conventional SVC systems.

Fastest response – efficient solution

The standardized component design allows minimized engineering efforts and provides an overall fast, efficient, modular, and cost-effective solution.
The SVC PLUS® control with its most advanced concept offers unsurpassed speed in controlling the IGBT semiconductors to precisely generate the desired flow of energy between the converter and the feeding network.

Small footprint, huge performance

The SVC PLUS® is an advanced STATCOM (static synchronous compensator). By using the voltage-sourced converter (VSC) technology based on Siemens Energy modular multilevel converter (MMC) design, it offers high economical and technical flexibility by its modular design. The footprint of an SVC PLUS® installation is smaller than a conventional SVC installation of the same rating, by up to 50 percent.

Reduced project duration

In order to reduce the civil work effort, Siemens Energy developed the containerized SVC PLUS®. The solution requires no building and less installation effort. Furthermore, the containerized design results in lower project execution time. The containerized SVC PLUS® includes the matured and proven technology of the SVC PLUS® with the best grid stability performance and a small footprint.

Grid stabilization – anywhere, anytime

The mobile STATCOM is Siemens Energy’s multi-tool for transmission grids that enables temporary grid support and grid resilience against emergencies. The preconfigured SVC PLUS® container combines major components in one housing and enables “plug and play” cable interconnection. A reactor container that contains the reactor coils including conventional bus bar arrangement complements it. The mobile STATCOM is the optimal solution for rapid service restoration after severe incidences, line rework, and grid changes, for example during power plant shutdowns.

Large electrical consumers in industrial processes often show a very dynamic behavior. Looking at the most extreme case of electrical loads worldwide, Electrical Arc Furnaces (EAFs) – where a single unit can have a consumption of up to around 300 MVA (the consumption of a city of 300.000 inhabitants) – their load characteristic is extremely dynamic and stochastic, creating a number of disturbances to the feeding grid, such as fast voltage fluctuations causing the phenomenon of flickering of light, bad power factor and asymmetric loading of the 3 phases of the supply system, as well generation of harmonics due to the non linear current of the electric arc. To counteract the disturbances of such industrial loads, an innovative and versatile compensation solution for enhancing power quality is required - SVC PLUS® provides the ideal solution. Our advanced STATCOM (static synchronous compensator) with modular multilevel converter (MMC) technology provides additional benefits compared to conventional solutions for load compensation. While conventional SVC installations already provide a highly dynamic solution for power quality improvement at the the grid connection point of an industrial power distribution system, the modular multilevel system SVC PLUS® is even faster and offers multiple additional benefits. Depending on the size and characteristics of the load and the utility regulations, Siemens Energy offers different SVC PLUS® concepts to mitigate the unwanted impact of the load to the grid.

Despite its outstanding performance, SVC PLUS® requires relatively few system components, which simplifies the design, planning, and engineering of new projects. The components used for SVC PLUS® comprise proven and robust components such as industrial class insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBT), reactors, filter circuits, typically connected directly to the medium voltage busbar that feeds the load to be compensated.

Thanks to modular multilevel converter (MMC) technology our SVC PLUS® offers great flexibility regarding design and layout of converters in the industrial substation. The modularity and the low number of system components also benefit commissioning time required.

Smallest footprint for load compensation of small to medium size industrial plants

The SVC PLUS® is an advanced STATCOM (static synchronous compensator). By using the voltage-sourced converter (VSC) technology based on Siemens Energy modular multilevel converter (MMC) design it offers high economical and technical flexibility by its modular design. The footprint of an SVC PLUS® installation is smaller than a conventional SVC installation of the same rating, by up to 50 percent.

Load compensation for large industrial plants or for weak grid connection

More and more often, the necessity arises to set up industrial plants with large fluctuating consumers in regions with weak electrical infrastructure – the most prominent example is the electrical arc furnace for melting scrap steel: Extreme variation of electric power consumption combined with generation of harmonics characterize the behavior of this consumer of electric power. Maintaining power quality parameters on the other hand is often a precondition to connect such a plant to the public grid.

Load compensation of very large industrial loads

The SVC PLUS® 2+1 is the Siemens Energy approach to very large industrial electric consumers: Electric arc furnaces nowadays often are in the range of 200MVA – a tough task also for the load compensation system. A combination of 2 SVC PLUS® converters, together with filter circuits where required, is the concept of choice, that also offers highest achievable results in flicker reduction and improvement of other power quality parameters. This solution additionally offers concept-inherent partial mutual backup – in case of a failure of any of the 3 functional groups SVC PLUS® converter 1, converter 2 or filter circuits the faulty functional group is switched off, but the remaining system stays in operation with reduced power, which allows the load to continue operation.

Control & Protection (C&P) systems are key to managing power flows and protecting grid components in HVDC and FACTS plants. Both tasks have to be considered in light of increasingly complex grid architectures and fluctuating power infeed from renewable energy sources. For many Transmission System Operators (TSO) and Distribution System Operators (DSO), this leads to three major challenges: first, fast reaction to market needs and short lead time of the C&P system. Second, reliable and secure operations throughout the entire lifecycle while safeguarding low Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). And last but not least, the C&P system should be easy to expand for new solutions and services. This is crucial in order to cope with the ongoing transformation of the energy system and to leverage the potential of future innovations. With our new modular C&P platform Grid Flow PLUS, we’re addressing all of these challenges.