ABB TO DELIVER THIRD SYNCHRONOUS CONDENSER TO SEV

ABB is continuing its collaboration with SEV, the main electrical power producer and distributor for the Faroe Islands, to deliver innovative Synchronous Condenser (SC) technology to stabilize the power grid as the fossil-fueled plant is phased out in favour of renewable generation. This latest development will see a third SC unit deployed on the island of Borðoy, in the northeast, where it will reinforce the local electricity supply for around 5,000 people.

The first 8 megavolt-ampere (MVA) ABB unit was installed in 2021 on the isolated island of Suðuroy. The second unit, rated at 12 MVA, was installed in 2022 next to the Sund power plant on Streymoy, the Faroes’ largest and most populous island which is served by the main electrical grid. The new 8 MVA unit on Borðoy will also be integrated into the main grid.

SEV has set an ambitious goal for the isolated Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic to be generating 100 percent green electricity from hydropower, solar and wind, biogas and potentially tidal streams. In addition to helping to combat climate change, this will bring important economic benefits by removing the current reliance on expensive fossil-fuel imports.




A major challenge for SEV is that decommissioning its existing diesel-fueled generating plant reduces the availability of the “spinning inertia” vital to keep the grid in balance and to ensure its safe operation. This must be tackled locally since there are no power cables connecting the Faroe Islands to neighbouring countries, which means its grid cannot call on external support.

ABB is collaborating with SEV to tackle the stability challenge by deploying innovative technology in the form of synchronous condensers. These are rotating electrical machines that provide essential services to strengthen a power system and keep it stable as both loads and renewable energy production change. These services include inertia, fault level and reactive power for voltage regulation.