American Superconductor Corp. has received orders from two electric utilities for its proprietary D-VAR (Dynamic VAR) reactive compensation solution. One of the utilities is Entergy Mississippi, Inc., part of Entergy Corp., which provides electricity to 2.7 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. The second utility is located outside the United States.
D-VAR systems are classified as Static Compensators, or "STATCOMs," a member of the FACTS (Flexible AC-Transmission System) family of power electronic solutions for alternating current (AC) power grids. D-VAR solutions detect and instantaneously compensate for voltage disturbances by dynamically injecting leading or lagging reactive power into the power grid. AMSC has now received orders for more than 60 STATCOM devices worldwide. The company's STATCOM customers include more than 20 electric utilities worldwide.
The D-VAR system purchased by Entergy Mississippi, Inc. will be installed in a substation in Mississippi to help improve the reliability of the local power grid. Entergy first purchased an AMSC STATCOM solution in 2000 to bolster grid reliability in the Houston, Texas, area and placed a second order in 2001.
A modular and scalable solution, D-VAR systems are customized to meet specific customer needs. These solutions are being used in a wide range of applications, including voltage regulation and grid reliability, optimization of power transfer capacity on stability-limited transmission networks, and reactive power support for wind farm interconnection to the grid.
