Pumped storage is a very well known well form of generating and storing electric energy. With the integra-tion of intermittent renewable energy sources and related changes into the grid, energy storage has be-come much more important.
Static frequency converters allow one to adapt the enable variable rotating speed of the pump-turbine and thereby optimize the operation. This opens the possibility of dynamically adapting the output power of the plant and support the grid through frequency control operation. Besides that, the hydraulic efficiency of the plant can be increased, and its operation and control become much more flexible. Hitachi Energy is a pioneer in hydro pumped storage: We have set a world record with the largest ever built converter for pumped storage application in the Swiss alps in 2012, and we have continued the journey of innovation with the Hydro SFC Light, the first direct modular multilevel converter (MMC) used for hydro pumped storage, commissioned in Austria in 2021.
Advantages of Hydro SFCs
Increased hydraulic efficiency, higher revenues thanks to ancillary grid services, and, less maintenance needs
Allows highest operational flexibility of the units, fast frequency and reactive power control and increased operating time of the units
Possibility to connect larger loads at black start
Operating time is increased, leading to better business case for the pumped storage plant owners
Hydro SFC Light sets a benchmark in efficiency and availability, and with that is perfectly suited for the demanding requirements of pumped storage hydropowe
Frequently Asked Questions
Hydro SFC Light offers redundancy on selected components and uses very robust components. This reduces the failure probability to a minimum. Thanks to this, the converter has been successfully deployed in a project in the mountains which is hardly accessible in wintertime.
Hydro SFC Light offers almost sinusoidal voltage on both the grid and the machine side thanks to multilevel converter topology. This ensures low harmonic content and excellent compliance with the machine.
