GE to use SVC tech to improve Norwgian power infrastructure

2019-7-29 T&DWord

GE’s Grid Solutions business has announced its most recent Flexible AC Transmission System (FACTS) contract win in an ongoing collaboration with Statnett, Norway’s electrical transmission system operator.

Norway is said to have one of the most sophisticated energy infrastructures in the world. GE’s Static Var Compensator (SVC) technology will be used to upgrade the existing SVCs at Rød and Verdal substations.

Norway’s population is expected to grow 21% from 2015 to 2040 to more than 6.3 million people. With the availability of new technology and plans for full electrification of most public and industrial sectors, the country is making it a priority to upgrade older grid infrastructure as well as develop the country’s mainstream power network to create a modern grid.

GE’s FACTS technology allows utilities to provide reactive power support, which enhances controllability, improves stability and increases power transfer capacity of AC transmission systems. This system design involves upgrades to Statnett’s existing Static Var Compensators (SVC) to regulate the voltage in the system during normal operations and provide reactive power compensation during faults in the system. The main purpose of the SVC is to provide stable voltage conditions and improve the power grid transfer capability during varying power generation and power flows.

“The upgrades to the Rød and Verdal substations will be the largest SVC revamp project Statnett has ever undertaken and one of the largest in the industry. Statnett’s most recent contract with GE ensures a secure supply and improves the reliability and availability of the electrical transmission grid,” says Espen Bostadløkken, Norway Country Manager at GE Renewable Energy’s Grid Solutions business.