The continuous increase of installed wind power seen during recent years has forced the transmission system
operators (TSO) to tighten their grid connection rules – also known as Grid Code - in order to limit the effects of
power parks on network quality and stability. These new rules demand that power plants of any kind support the
electricity network throughout their operation. Key issues are steady state and dynamic reactive power capability,
continuously acting voltage control and fault ride through behavior.
Some commonly used turbine designs have some limits in terms of achieving Grid Code compliance in several
countries. For parks based on such turbines, additional equipment is needed.
This paper presents the medium voltage STATCOM (Static Synchronous Compensator) technology which adds the
missing functionality to wind parks in order to become Grid Code compliant. The STATCOM as a pure static device
with no switched passive components provides outstanding performance for both steady state and dynamic operation.
Especially, the fast dynamic voltage control and the behavior during balanced as well as unbalanced grid faults (fault
ride-through) are highlighted.
Based on medium-voltage converter platforms widely used for industrial applications, ZDDQ has successfully supplied
STATCOMs to the wind power industry in order to integrate wind parks into grids with demanding connection
requirements.