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Siemens Energy’s Californian plant to support renewable energy goals

Published by , Editorial Assistant
Energy Global,


Siemens Energy will supply a reactive power compensation plant to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP). The plant will enhance operations at Barren Ridge Switching Station, LADWP’s renewable energy transmission facility in Kern County, California, US, about 80 miles north of Los Angeles, US.

The plant will be based on Siemens Energy’s SVC PLUS technology that combines the benefits of static synchronous compensation (STATCOM) and modular multilevel converter (MMC) technology. The fast response of the STATCOM stabilises the transmission system when the amount of power generated by solar, wind or hydro generation changes. The MMC technology allows the implementation of this complex technology in a very small footprint compared to traditional solutions. The new ± 200 MVAr SVC PLUS will provide the necessary voltage support needed in the area, where LADWP has significantly increased renewable energy generation.

“Constantly increasing the share of CO2-free, climate-neutral electricity in our grid is one of our most important challenges,” said Reiko Kerr, Senior Assistant General Manager, Power System Engineering and Technical Services at LADWP. “In addition to building new wind and solar power plants, targeted investments in our electricity transmission infrastructure are crucial to achieving our renewable energy goals. Barren Ridge will provide long-term grid stability for our customers while supporting increasing amounts of renewable energy in our portfolio.”

The heart of the SVC PLUS will be two three-phase step-down transformers with 230 kV and 200 MVA capacity and an industrial-class insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBT) based converter. This important installation supports LADWP’s ongoing network enhancement by the application of robust technology that continues to prove its value in more than 120 installations worldwide. In addition to the plant, Siemens Energy will provide extended warranty that will maximise availability and operating flexibility for LADWP.

Commissioning of the plant is planned for summer 2022 after an execution time of 16 months.

 

 

For more news and technical articles from the global renewable industry read our latest issue of Energy Global magazine.

Energy Global’s Winter 2020 issue

The Winter issue of Energy Global provides a range of technical articles covering technological advancements and future outlooks in the renewables sector, from companies including CorPower Ocean, Rystad Energy, Black & Veatch, Voltalia, FUERGY, and more.

Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/special-reports/25032021/siemens-energys-californian-plant-to-support-renewable-energy-goals/

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