Hitachi Energy releases new solutions to advance grid control

Hitachi Energy has launched Grid-enSure, a portfolio of power electronics solutions aiming to help enhance grid flexibility, resilience and stability.

The power electronics portfolio combines existing and future power electronics solutions from Hitachi Energy such as HVDC, static compensators (STATCOM and Enhanced STATCOM), static frequency converters, medium-voltage direct current (MVDC), energy storage solutions and advanced semiconductor technologies.

Citing findings from ENTSOE and project Inertia, the Swiss tech giant states that, in the European synchronous area alone, an estimated 450GWs of additional energy is required to support inertia requirements by 2030.

Whereas in the past, this requirement would have been addressed by large rotating synchronous generators and machines, this is where Hitachi Energy’s Grid-enSure portfolio would come in.

Specifically, the portfolio’s Enhanced-STATCOM has the ability to store energy in the form of supercapacitors controlled by high-power semiconductors, doubling the energy utilisation rate and reducing the required installed capacity by 20% or more, compared to conventional solutions.

In addition, says Hitachi Energy, solutions such as HVDC, STATCOM and energy storage solutions can help stabilise voltage and frequency, improving operational reliability and reducing the need to build new power plants.

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Commenting in a release was Niklas Persson, managing director of Hitachi Energy’s Business Unit Grid Integration: “We are at a defining moment in the energy transition.

“With unprecedented levels of renewable power being added globally, we must reconsider how we design, plan and operate power systems to support the rapid pace of the energy transition.

“Traditional power technology solutions alone cannot provide the necessary speed and functionalities that our renewable-powered grids require, so a more holistic approach is needed.”

Said Inés Romero, head of product management and strategy of Hitachi Energy’s Business Unit Grid Integration: “The cutting-edge control systems provide microsecond response to address the needs of the grid, providing the required flexibility with the help of advanced control functionalities such as grid-forming, synthetic inertia, fast-frequency response, voltage control, interoperability and much more.

“This puts the Grid-enSure portfolio at the centre of power system transformation.”