The problem
A large steelworks is one of the worst polluters of a transmission and distribution grid. Disturbances like e.g. current harmonics, voltage unbalances and voltage flicker emanate from the steel plant, enter the feeding grid, and result in bad power quality for the grid owner, the steel work and other electrical consumers.
The solution
FACTS in the shape of a Static Var Compensator (SVC) is since many years the proven solution that provides improved power quality in “steel environments”.
A good example of the technology is two SVCs supplied by ABB to Saldanha Steel in Cape Town, South Africa. The two installations, rated 165Mvar and 60Mvar respectively, have been in service since 1998. They assure optimum power quality through counteraction versus the violent loads constituted by the furnaces and the cycloconverter drives. For Saldanha Steel FACTS proved to be extremely cost efficient, specifically compared to the major reinforcements in the transmission grid that constituted the alternative.