Customers increasingly turn to GE’s industry-leading fixed series compensation technology to meet grid challenges

Paris — With its unique and innovative Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS), GE Renewable Energy’s Grid Solutions business [NYSE:GE] continues to meet the growing power needs of transmission systems worldwide. Recent grid customer contracts totaling nearly USD $70 million reflect customers’ growing reliance on GE’s Fixed Series Compensation (FSC) technology. With over 50,000 Mvars (megavolt ampere of reactive power) of series compensation systems since 2012 and nearly 380 systems installed globally, GE leads the industry in delivery.

FSC systems make transmission lines behave as if they are physically shorter, thus allowing additional electrical power (throughput) to flow down long transmission lines. For applications like renewable wind energy, this means that more of the green energy produced by the wind turbines gets delivered to where it’s needed.

“GE has more than a century of experience designing transmission networks, including the first series compensation project in 1928,” said Fabrice Jullien, Global FACTS Business Leader for Grid Integration Solutions, a GE Renewable Energy’s Grid Solutions business. “Available for both new and existing substations, the industry-leading FACTS Fixed Series Compensation (FSC) technology allows utilities to cost-effectively increase transmission lines’ power transfer capabilities with reduced transmission line losses and overall improved power grid stability.”

Most recent FSC projects for new substations include the following:

Albuquerque, NM, US – GE will supply new capacitor equipment and source new reactors following the Public Service Company of New Mexico’s reconfiguration of its line length with the addition of a solar plant and retirement of existing generation sources. The project will include engineering, procurement, construction, testing and commissioning of equipment to modify the capacitance of one 345 kV FSC bank. Commissioning is planned for March 2022.

Arizona and California, US – GE was commissioned to supply all new control systems at two 500 kV FSC banks, upgrading systems that GE originally commissioned in the 1980s. Contracted by Southern California Edison (SCE), the project includes engineering, procurement, construction, testing and commissioning at the California Capacitor No. 1 between the Devers and Red Bluff substations, and Arizona Capacitor between the Colorado River and Palo Verde substations. The California bank was completed in February 2021 and the Arizona bank is scheduled for completion in first quarter 2022.

Vietnam – The Central Power Projects Management Board has contracted with GE to supply, deliver, supervise install, test and commission four 500 kV FSC banks at the Doc Soi Substation in the South-Central Coast region and two 500 kV FSC banks at the Quang Trach Substation in Central Vietnam. Among other benefits, the project is expected to enhance transmission capabilities, improve system stability, and reduce system losses. Currently, 2 FSC banks have been energized at the Doc Soi substation to Pleiku; 2 FSC banks at the Doc Soi substation to Quang Trach have been installed and are being tested, expected to be energized at the end of August 2021. 2 FSC banks in Quang Trach are expected to be energized in the fourth quarter of 2021.

Clearwater, US – The buildout of wind generation throughout North America often requires the support of Fixed Series Compensation. Recently GE has been commissioned to build a new FSC bank in the upper Midwest which includes GE providing engineering, procurement, construction, testing and commissioning of a 345 kV bank. GE’s FSC technology will help compensate for transmission line fluctuations, allowing our customer to move wind energy to load centers on the grid. Commissioning is planned for August 2022.

New Mexico, US – Pattern Energy is a long-standing GE wind turbine customer, and now for the first time is utilizing GE’s FSC technology. For this 580 Mvar, 345 kV bank GE is providing engineering, procurement, construction, testing and commissioning. This bank will be located on a new transmission line being built and the FSC will enable wind energy to be efficiently moved to load centers. Additionally, the bank will provide electrical stability to the surrounding grid by compensating for transmission line fluctuations. Commissioning is expected at the end of 2021.

GE is committed to providing support and delivering system enhancements that extend the life of the FSC investments made by GE’s customer globally.

Recent life extension projects include:

Hope, British Columbia – At BC Hydro’s American Creek Capacitor (AMC) Station, GE is providing the design, supply, installation, testing and removal of the 30-year-old protection and control systems for the two banks at the station, as well as upgrading the existing fast bypass equipment currently in service on the bank. The upgraded FSC technology aims to reduce transmission line fluctuations, integrating seamlessly with the existing equipment and providing NERC/CIP compliance. Commissioning is planned to complete in July 2022.

Oregon, US – Another 30-year-old system that will receive an upgrade is an FSC in the Pacific Northwest. The GE team is performing upgrades on two existing banks that include engineering, procurement, installation, commissioning and testing of the new GE controls. With commissioning planed for November 2021, the upgrade will compensate for transmission line fluctuations and integrate seamlessly with existing equipment.

Melbourne, Australia – Another upgrade project is planned for AusNet Services Ltd, which has contracted with GE to modernize two FSC capacitor banks at South Morang Terminal Station. The GE team will provide engineering, procurement, technical direction, testing and commissioning. The FSC banks will provide 50% reactive compensation on each of two lines and will replace the existing FSC banks, which were provided and commissioned by GE in 1999, while reusing some key existing components. The new FSC design aims to increase the thermal current capacity of the transmission lines routed through the South Morang Terminal Station. Completion is planned for November 2022.

Ancoa, Chile – GE will upgrade the protection and control system of two FSCs operated by Transelec. GE has been contracted to provide engineering, procurement, installation, testing and commissioning at the site with the objective to extend the operational life of the existing Fixed Series Capacitor Banks. Commissioning is planned for second half of 2022.

The energy transition is well underway around the world, and GE’s FSC technology is one of the key tools being used by transmission system operations and wind farm developers to better integrate green energy onto our existing AC grids. Most of our new projects are somehow tied to integrating renewable energy onto the grid, and GE’s technology ensures that more of that green energy gets transmitted to the load centers.