Grid Stability: Nidec Conversion and 50Hertz lead with Second-Generation STATCOM project near Berlin
The new second-generation STATCOM integrates supercapacitor storage to ensure both voltage and frequency stability in high voltage transmission grids
Nidec Conversion’s system exchange 150 MW in just 1.25 seconds and is operated under the name E-STATCOM in a part of the Malchow substation of around 7,000-square-meters
Dominique Llonch, CEO of Nidec Conversion: “This innovative technology is a crucial step in addressing the challenges of integrating renewable energy into the grid, providing both voltage and frequency stability. We are committed to supporting Europe’s renewable energy goals and ensuring a more reliable and resilient energy future.”
Berlin / Milan, December 5, 2024 – Nidec Conversion, international provider of power conversion solutions for energy, mobility and the environment, has been awarded a landmark project by German transmission system operator (TSO) 50Hertz to supply the first second-generation STATCOM system at the Malchow substation near Berlin. Scheduled for commissioning in 2028, this pioneering technology which German TSO’s are first to implement represents a significant step forward in ensuring grid stability in the face of Europe’s accelerating energy transition.
The Nidec-system absorbs 150 MW in just 1.25 seconds and is operated under the name E-STATCOM in a part of the Malchow substation of around 7,000-square-meters. It will be a key component in 50Hertz’s strategy to penetrate renewable plants in Germany to support the country’s ambitious goal of achieving 100% renewable energy by 2032. This project further aligns with broader European efforts to strengthen grid resilience and accelerate the energy transition.
The increasing penetration of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar has reshaped the electricity landscape in Germany and across Europe. While these technologies drive decarbonization, they also pose challenges to grid stability, such as voltage surges and frequency fluctuations, due to the reduction of inertia previously provided by large thermal power plants. Technical solutions, such as second-generation STATCOM systems, are crucial to address these emerging issues and ensure a reliable energy supply.
The STATCOM system being developed by Nidec and offered to 50Hertz is the first for the German TSO. Unlike first-generation STATCOM systems, which primarily stabilize voltage, the second-generation extends this to frequency as well, providing dynamic reactive power and inertial response to grid fluctuations.
The system’s capability is remarkable: it can exchange up to 150 megawatts (MW) of power within just 1.25 seconds. This rapid response is made possible by supercapacitor modules, which ensure the shortest possible discharge and recharge times. These modules will be integrated into the E-STATCOM system developed by Nidec Conversion in Italy, further underscoring the global collaboration behind this innovation.
Dominique Llonch, CEO of Nidec Conversion, states: “We are proud to collaborate with 50Hertz on this groundbreaking project, delivering one of Europe’s first second-generation STATCOM systems. This innovative technology is a crucial step in addressing the challenges of integrating renewable energy into the grid, providing both voltage and frequency stability. Nidec Conversion is committed to supporting Europe’s renewable energy goals and ensuring a more reliable and resilient energy future.”
Dr. Dirk Biermann, Chief Operating Officer of 50Hertz, comments: “STATCOM-solutions are a necessary and important element of the energy transition. They provide continuously variable reactive power in response to voltage fluctuations and allow us to strengthen the resilience of our grid as we move forward with renewable energy integration. STATCOM technology supports stabilizing the power grids in an energy system with more and more fluctuating renewable energies and less power plants based on fossil fuels.”
About Nidec Conversion
Nidec Conversion offers complete, customized electrical systems for energy efficiency in all fields. Its target markets are petrochemical, traditional and renewable energy, steel, marine and industrial automation. The multinational company specializes in heavy-duty applications with electric motors and generators up to 65 MW power (87,000 hp), electronic power converters and inverters, automation and software for industrial processes, and the retrofitting of power plants and hydroelectric generators. In addition, the company has strong know-how in the field of integrated systems for the production and storage of electrical energy (i.e. BESS) from renewable sources and their integration into electricity grids, as well as in the design and implementation of infrastructures for recharging electrical machines. Nidec Conversion is also able to offer optimized technologies for motor control and to develop automation solutions for specific applications, customized to the client’s needs.
About 50Hertz
50Hertz operates the electricity transmission system in the north and east of Germany, which it expands as needed for the energy transition. Our extra high voltage grid has an electrical circuit length of more than 10,000 kilometres, or the distance between Berlin and Rio de Janeiro. The 50Hertz control area covers Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia, as well as the city states of Berlin and Hamburg. Within these regions, 50Hertz and its more than 2.100 employees ensure that 18 million people are supplied with electricity around the clock. 50Hertz is a forerunner in the field of secure integration of renewable energy. In our grid area, we want to integrate 100 percent renewable energies securely into the grid and system by 2032 – calculated over the year. The shareholders of 50Hertz are the Belgian holding Elia Group (80%), which is listed on the stock exchange, and the KfW bank group with 20%. As a European TSO, 50Hertz is a member of the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E).
Press contact:
Barabino & P. Deutschland GmbH
Lorenzo Magri
Anika Filipiak
+49 30 66 40 40 60