GE Renewable Energy’s Grid Solutions business has won five Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS) in recent months, reflecting customers’ confidence in GE’s technology to help them increase the power transfer capability and controllability of their AC grids.
In a release, GE Grid Solutions said that the contracts include a Fixed Series Compensation (FSC) bank reconfiguration project for Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) in the US and a Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM) project for the Saudi Electricity Company, one of the largest producers of electricity in the Middle East and North Africa.
Boosting network efficiency
Available for new and existing transmission networks, FACTS technologies help boost a transmission network’s efficiency and operational performance. FSC technology helps reduce transmission losses by making the transmission line behave as if it were shorter than its actual physical length. STATCOM technology, on the other hand, can either provide or absorb reactive current, thereby regulating the voltage at the point of connection to a power grid. Fast acting and cost-effective, both FSC and STATCOM are becoming ever more critical with the rise in decentralized renewable energy systems.
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Since 1928
“GE has more than a century of experience designing and building transmission network systems, including the world’s first Fixed Series Compensation project in the US in 1928,” said Olivier Ruiz, North American Regional Leader for GE Grid Solutions’ Grid Systems Integration business. “Our recent awards add to our installed base of nearly 450 FSC and STATCOM systems globally, confirming our position as one of the leading FACTS players in the world. In terms of FSC systems alone, we have a total of about 160,000 MVAr installed, making us the industry leader in this segment.”
The five projects under discussion are:
1. New Mexico FSC project
GE’s PNM bank reconfiguration project for the series capacitors at PNM’s Rio Puerco switching station in New Mexico’s Sandoval County accommodated changes in transmission line length and reconfiguration due to the replacement of a thermal plant with a solar facility. Based on previous project successes, PNM turned to GE for the project, which required a quick turnaround.
2. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia STATCOM project
GE in partnership with Alfanar, a Saudi conglomerate with a global presence, was awarded a contract for the installation of a Hybrid STATCOM for the Saudi Electricity Company in Tabuk in northern Saudi Arabia. The system is rated at +450 Mvar capacitive and -150 Mvar inductive.
3. Colorado
GE will install two 525kV FSC banks to support power delivery for two new substations to be built across a 414-mile stretch of existing transmission network. GE will provide project management, engineering studies, equipment design, supply, delivery, supervise installation, test, and commission the FSC banks. These banks are planned for pre-commissioning in September 2023 and April 2024 with the total system scheduled to be energized in September 2024.
4. Idaho
GE will design, build, and install a 500kV series capacitor bank at a 500kV substation to replace an existing 40-plus-year-old series capacitor bank. This project is GE’s fifth capacitor bank replacement for this customer. The installation consists of one dual-segment bank with redundant protection equipment.
5. Kansas
A large renewable energy developer has installed wind turbines with a total capacity of 600 MW connected to two substations in Kansas. From there, the power will travel more than 170 miles on a 345kV overhead line through multiple substations to the point of interconnection to the grid. GE’s 345kV, 436 MVAr series capacitor solution will satisfy the interconnection requirements to deliver renewable generation to the grid. GE will provide project management, engineering studies, and equipment design. GE will also supply and deliver the FSC solution, as well as supervise installation, testing, and commissioning. Commissioning is scheduled for October 2023.
