The intermittent nature of wind and solar power sources, requires grid operators to make efforts to mitigate the risk of disturbances and ensure a stable power supply. Terna owns and operates 98% of the Italian high-voltage power transmission grid, so it has a vital role for ensuring stable power supply to households and businesses.
Each of GE’s synchronous condenser unit can supply reactive power of up to +250/-125 MVAr and 1750 MWs inertia. The units are designed to quickly regulate the energy parameters of the transmission network, regulate the voltage and improve the energy factor, and increase the overall grid inertia with GE’s new flywheel system. Flywheels provide spinning reserve which is especially important as Italy has seen a strong growth of wind and photovoltaic plants, and a parallel reduction of coal power units.
Topair technology
Under the latest order, GE’s scope of supply includes the design, civil works, supply, installation and commissioning of two electrical two-pole generators “Topair” technology - each equipped with a flywheel, step-up transformers, generator circuit breakers, all the electrical and mechanical auxiliaries and balance of plant for our supply, including the protection and controls systems, monitoring and diagnostic systems, as well as 20 years of planned maintenance.
In addition, GE has been working on installing four 250 MVAr synchronous condensers on behalf of Terna near Selargius and Maida power plants in Sardinia and Calabria. The American OEM has already installed two 160 MVAr synchronous condensers at substations in Sicily that have been running since the end of 2015.
In total, GE’s eight synchronous condenser units with Terna will supply up to 1,820 MVAr of reactive power for Italy’s grid with a value of 10,500 MWs of inertia, helping to stabilize the grid across the south of Italy where more than 20 million people live.