GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – Hitachi ABB Power Grids has been commissioned to install a 275 kV substation as part of the Phoenix project.

The project, funded by the UK electricity regulator Ofgem through its Network Innovation Competition (NIC), aims at combining traditional technology with power electronics and a hybrid control.

Hitachi ABB has launched a year-long trial of a hybrid solution at the 275 kV Neilston substation installed on SP Energy Networks’ transmission network near Glasgow in Scotland.

At the substation, a STATCOM operates in parallel with a synchronous condenser, connected to the bus via a three-winding power transformer. The STATCOM utilizes Modular Multilevel Converter (MMC) valve technology, while the synchronous condenser is a 4-pole motor with brushless excitation system.

The project partners SP Energy Networks, the University of Strathclyde and the Technical University of Denmark will evaluate the installation’s performance over the year-long trial.

The project is expected to contribute a cumulative savings of over 62,000 tons of carbon emissions, which is equivalent to the electricity use of over 6,000 homes.

Source: Hitachi ABB Power Grids