STATCOM substation inaugurated at former German nuclear power plant
Philippsburg converter. Image courtesy TransnetBW.
A substation convertor that can operate in STATCOM (Static Synchronous Compensator) mode has been inaugurated on the site of a former nuclear power plant in Philippsburg, Germany.
German TSO TransnetBW inaugurated the direct current substation converter as part of the ULTRANET network expansion project.
The converter is the southern end point of the ULTRANET line, which is being implemented using HVDC transmission by TransnetBW together with project partner Amprion.
TransnetBW commissioned Siemens Energy as general contractor to build the multi-terminal converter on the site of the former Philippsburg nuclear power plant (KKP).
After four years of construction, the converter station in STATCOM mode – allowing it to provide inertia and controllable reactive power – enables grid reliability by making an important contribution to stabilising voltage.
These contributions, says TransnetBW in a release, are indispensable for grid operation. They include reactive power, voltage regulation and grid-forming properties.
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Commenting on the sidelines of the converter’s commissioning ceremony was Dr Werner Götz, CEO of TransnetBW: “ULTRANET is an important part of the transmission network of the future. With the completion of the first multi-terminal converter in southern Germany, TransnetBW has reached a significant milestone in the project.
“Our thanks go to the city of Philippsburg, the district of Karlsruhe and the state of Baden-Württemberg for the good cooperation over the past few years. A project of this magnitude can only be realized hand in hand – we are very pleased that we can drive forward the restructuring of the energy system with a lot of dialogue and exchange on an equal footing.”
Said prime minister Winfried Kretschmann on the symbolic power of the site for the energy industry: “Where the cooling towers of a nuclear power plant used to stand, there is now a state-of-the-art converter that converts climate-friendly electricity.
“The Philippsburg energy site shows that we are on the right path to a new energy world without climate-damaging emissions and without incalculable risks. At the same time, we are keeping the power grid safe and stable. Projects such as ULTRANET are making the energy transition more efficient, faster and more cost-effective.”
ULTRANET
The station forms the basis for the future use of the ULTRANET direct current line and the A-NORD multi-terminal extension from Meerbusch-Osterath to Emden in East Frisia.
ULTRANET and A-NORD aim to enable the low-loss and robust transmission of large amounts of electricity using Siemens Energy’s HVDC PLUS technology, which helps integrate renewable energies and offers unique control functions for grid stabilisation.
The ULTRANET direct current line is expected to go into operation at the end of 2026. More than half of the line is currently completed.
In active power operation, ULTRANET will transport sustainably generated electricity from renewable energies from the north to where it is needed – namely, the industrial consumption centres in the southwest.
To make it usable for consumers in the region, the direct current arriving in Philippsburg is converted into alternating current and fed into the existing power grid via the newly constructed Philippsburg network node.
The inauguration of the substation was held a day following planning approval from Germany’s Federal Network Agency for the third section of Ultranet’s planned high-voltage line from Osterath to Philippsburg.
