Mitsubishi Electric has announced that it will launch a voltage-sourced converter (VSC) based high voltage direct current (HVDC) systems verification facility at Transmission and Distribution Systems Center (Japan). Its operation is expected to start in the first half of 2018. Impression: This announcement indicates that Mitsubishi Electric is moving towards the enhancement of its product portfolio in the field of power electronics in specific and smart grids in general. Mitsubishi Electric already has a strong presence in Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FATCS) as it has installed more than 50 Static Var compensators (SVCs) and Static Synchronous Compensators (STATCOMs) projects worldwide. Although, in the past, Mitsubishi Electric has collaborated with other manufacturers in some large HVDC projects, its involvement did not encompass the designing and building of core HVDC converter modules in those projects. This verification facility in the future will allow Mitsubishi to provide complete power electronics solutions to applications like off-shore wind generation. In terms of technology, this could also indicate that VSC HVDC demand is gradually increasing in Asian countries, which is mainly driven by new wind power integration and stricter grid codes enforced by utilities in those countries.
Link to press release: here