In handing over the converter for a cutting-edge grid stabilization system to the German transmission grid operator Amprion, Siemens celebrated delivery of its one-hundredth STATCOM (static synchronous compensator) from the SVC PLUS series in mid-2019. Approximately two-thirds of the globally installed STATCOM systems with modular multilevel converter technology are from Siemens.
The growing importance of STATCOM technology goes hand in hand with the new requirements to be met by the power grid. Renewable energy sources and decentralized producers are increasingly feeding electricity into the energy mix while the share of conventional power plants is shrinking. The volatile infeed of energy and ever growing distances between power producers and consumers make the grid more susceptible to fluctuations.
STATCOM systems stabilize these fluctuations by absorbing or feeding in voltage-supporting reactive power, depending on the requirements. Based on the technology of conventional static var compensators, Siemens has developed additional innovative solutions, such as the SVC PLUS FS frequency stabilizer and the mobile STATCOM, which stabilize the grid and close gaps in energy systems around the world.