Emirates Steel

An SVC Light^® rated at 33 kV, 0-164 Mvar capacitive has been installed by Hitachi Energy at Emirates Steel in the United Arab Emirates for reduction of flicker emanating from the operation of an electric arc furnace (EAF), rated at 130 MVA, and a ladle furnace (LF) rated at 24 MVA. Flicker mitigation is called for due to the considerable size of the EAF in relation to the limited fault level of the feeding grid. The SVC Light came on line in 2010.

The steel plant takes its power from a 220 kV grid. The fault level varies between 4.800 MVA and 10.000 MVA, depending on grid conditions and winter/summer variations. Considering the substantial rating of the EAF, unless proper measures were taken, strong flicker could have been expected as a result of the operation of the EAF, particularly at minimum fault level of the grid. With the SVC Light operated on the 33 kV EAF bus, efficient flicker mitigation is attained, and the Grid Code of the feeding grid is fulfilled for all operating conditions. A flicker reduction factor of 7 is achieved with the SVC Light in operation.

As a matter of fact, the flicker level at the 220 kV point of common connection (P.C.C.) is influenced by two additional steel plants situated in the same region and operated from the same grid. Consequently, the flicker measured is an aggregated value arising from the operation of all three plants.The main purposes of the SVC Light installation are to mitigate the flicker emission produced by the EAF, reduce the harmonic pollution, compensate the reactive power and stabilize the furnaces’ bus voltage.