American Superconductor Corp. (AMSC) has received a new D-VAR system order to increase the reliability of a portion of the power grid in China operated by China Southern Power Grid Company Ltd., which is one of the two State Owned Enterprises that operate all of China’s power grids. Xiamen-based Xiamen Red Phase Instruments Inc. (Red Phase) will deploy the D-VAR system at the 220-(kV) Yuanmo substation in Chuxiong in the Yunnan Province of China.

“We are very pleased to see that our D-VAR system is being accepted by an increasing number of Chinese customers for solving their power quality, wind farm interconnection and voltage stability issues”

AMSC also announced that Red Phase has been named a channel partner for the power grid market in southern China. This is the second D-VAR system order AMSC has received from Red Phase and the fourth power grid order AMSC has received in China over the past 12 months. AMSC expects to deliver the D-VAR system to Red Phase by the end of July 2010.

“We are very pleased to see that our D-VAR system is being accepted by an increasing number of Chinese customers for solving their power quality, wind farm interconnection and voltage stability issues,” said Greg Yurek, founder and chief executive officer of AMSC. “Just one year ago, we generated our first sale in China’s sizable power grid market, and that initial showcase installation has now been followed by several additional orders. This is a strong validation of our smart grid solutions and is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the opportunities we see ahead in China.”

“We are confident that this solution will perfectly address China Southern Power Grid’s power quality issues in Chuxiong,” said Yang Cheng, chief executive officer of Red Phase. “We also believe there are many more such opportunities in China for similar D-VAR solutions, and we look forward to addressing those opportunities with AMSC.”
AMSC customers utilize D-VAR solutions to provide voltage regulation and power factor correction, along with post-contingency assistance to stabilize voltage, relieve power grid congestion, improve electrical efficiency, and prevent blackouts in power grids. D-VAR reactive compensation 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. These Smart Grid solutions 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 80 STATCOM power grid solutions worldwide, more than all other manufacturers combined. The company’s STATCOM customers include more than 20 electric utilities and over 50 wind farms.