Broad-area power network operator J-POWER Transmission has specified a 300MW Voltage Source Converter (VSC) from Mitsubishi Electric for its Shin-Sakuma Frequency Converter Station in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka prefecture, Japan.
In the wake of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, the country's Organization for Cross-regional Coordination of Transmission Operators has undertaken wide-area servicing of power transmission lines in order to achieve more stable and efficient power supplies across Japan.
Electricity in Japan is supplied at two different frequencies; 50Hz in the East of the country and 60Hz in Western Japan.
Since grids operating at different frequencies cannot be directly connected, frequency converter stations are required to exchange power between the two regions.
The aim of this project is to enhance interconnectivity between them through the construction of a new 50/60Hz frequency conversion station on their border, part of the improvements being made to Japan's wide-area grid.
Mitsubishi Electric proposed a frequency converter station using VSC HVDC power transmission incorporating the latest generation of modular multi-level converters (MMCs) incorporating static synchronous compensator (STATCOM) technology.
Modular multi-level converters utilize extremely efficient, high-performance, high-capacity insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), allowing more compact converter stations.
The resulting high reliability and unique control technology were key factors in the awarding of this contract, and implementation of this project will help facilitate the interchange of power between Eastern and Western Japan.
Initiatives aimed at achieving carbon neutrality are accelerating around the world, and with the expansion in the use of renewable energy, there is a need for the development of high-capacity DC transmission facilities and stable power supplies.
The system is expected to enter service by the end of March 2028.
