The Temporary Grouping Competitors (TGC) formed by Ansaldo Energia, Hitachi Energy and the new partner dedicated to civil infrastructure Lucente Mario SpA, has been awarded two lots of a public tender announced by Terna. The RTC has signed an order from Terna for five synchronous condensers, for a total value of approximately 300 million euros.
Ansaldo Energia scope of supply includes the design, supply, commissioning, maintenance and service activities of five synchronous condensers of 250 MVAR each, to be installed and commissioned within the next 5 years. With this acquisition, the number of grid stabilization plants in operation in Italy with Ansaldo Energia equipment will rise to 13, with a total of 15 synchronous condensers.
The synchronous condenser allows the reactive power exchanged with the grid to be constantly and very accurately regulated, to improve voltage profiles while providing significant contributions to the grid’s short-circuit power. Synchronous condensers also provide a significant inertia contribution to the electricity grid, making it more stable and avoiding sudden voltage or frequency changes. All the new synchronous condensers will be equipped with the “flywheel system”, an innovation designed and built by Ansaldo Energia that increases the inertia of the rotating system while minimizing mechanical losses, thanks to a vacuum chamber that minimizes losses caused by air friction.
Synchronous condensers are a strategic enabling resource for the electricity system in the energy transition context, providing a crucial contribution to the safe management of the grid and the massive integration of renewable sources.
“This project confirms the Ansaldo Energia Group’s commitment to ensuring the stability of the electricity grid in the face of the increasing spread of renewable energy plants, which by their very nature are subject to discontinuity and non-programmability of the power supplied,” said Stefano Gianatti, Executive Vice President Thermal New Units of Ansaldo Energia.
