Hitachi Energy and Ørsted to ensure grid stability at Hornsea 4

Hitachi Energy has received an order from Danish renewable energy developer Ørsted, subject to final investment decision, to provide the power electronics technology to integrate 2.4 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy from the Hornsea 4 offshore wind farm into the grid, helping to meet the United Kingdom’s Clean Power 2030 targets.

Hitachi Energy will supply an advanced grid-forming solution that employs the next generation of grid stabilization technology, Enhanced STATCOM - to manage grid frequency variations and system voltage at all times. It is the first time the technology will be used in the offshore wind industry in Europe and marks a major milestone in the evolution of the conventional STATCOM installed at Hornsea 2.

Hitachi Energy’s breakthrough solution, SVC Light^® Enhanced, uses innovative power electronics to integrate the efficient reactive power compensation of SVC Light with supercapacitors, which are electronic devices that absorb and inject active power into the grid in milliseconds. SVC Light Enhanced is part of Grid-enSureTM, a recently launched fully integrated portfolio that comprises leading-edge solutions based on power electronics and advanced control systems that safely protect grid stability, reliability, and power quality as the transition to renewable energy accelerates. Advanced features like Grid Forming Control provide significant improvements over previous solutions and make the technology less sensitive to future changes in the network.

The use of supercapacitors to provide active power capability not only supports grid stability but also offers project owners the possibility of offering inertia or grid stability services to the grid.

Located 69 kilometers (km) off the Yorkshire coast, Hornsea 4 secured a 2.4 GW Contract for Difference (CfD) from Government in September 2024. The CfD mechanism guarantees a fixed price level for the electricity generated, providing revenue certainty and giving developers financial stability to progress viable projects.