AMSC has announced that two of its D-VAR STATCOM reactive-compensation equipment will increase grid reliability on the U.K.'s power grid. SSE will use AMSC's D-VAR reactive-compensation and voltage-control systems to enhance the electricity grid in the Western Isles of Scotland near the future wind farms at Stornoway and Loch Carnan. AMSC's D-VAR offering includes installation and ongoing maintenance and support for SSE. The contract calls for commissioning of the D-VAR equipment near the Stornoway Wind Farm by the end of 2012. Scheduled system commissioning near the Loch Carnan Wind Farm is set for the first half of 2013. This marks AMSC's ninth D-VAR system sale to SSE. "Over the past eight years, AMSC has become SSE's most trusted provider of STATCOM systems to correct voltage-instability problems on our network as well as to reliably and cost-effectively connect renewable energy power plants to electricity grid," said Stephen Wood, Lead Delivery Project Manager, SSE. "We are pleased to work with AMSC once again to ensure that we are delivering reliable, high-quality power to our customers." A variety of factors can cause grid instability, including greater power demands from more customers in more locations and the increase in variable and distributed sources of generation, as is the case with SSE for this installation. AMSC's D-VAR STATCOM systems fortify power networks to enable them to become more resilient and efficient. The D-VAR systems are constantly monitoring the power grid and automatically and instantly stabilize voltage to enable higher power transfer through existing power lines with increased reliability and efficiency. AMSC's D-VAR systems also reliably interconnect sources of renewable energy to power grids. D-VAR dynamic reactive-compensation systems are classified as Static Compensators, or STATCOMs, a member of the FACTS (flexible AC-transmission system) family of power-electronic products for AC power grids. AMSC's D-VAR systems are able to detect and instantaneously compensate for voltage disturbances by dynamically injecting leading or lagging reactive power into the power grid. AMSC has received orders for over 100 STATCOM power-grid systems worldwide. The company's D-VAR STATCOM customers include more than 20 power-grid operators worldwide. AMSC
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