GE’s new capacitor banks to improve power efficiency in Vietnam

The Fixed Series Compensation system delivers higher efficiency by increasing the capacity of the existing power line infrastructure.

GE is helping power Vietnam’s economic growth with new custom-designed fixed series capacitor banks. The new technology will improve energy reliability and efficiency for Power Transmission Company No. 2, a key subsidiary of National Power Transmission Corporation and state utility Electricity of Vietnam. The systems also will increase the power transfer capability of PTC2’s current transmission lines, helping engineers better control voltages and better manage increasing energy demand.

Vietnam is forecasting a 7.5 percent to 8 percent annual economic growth over the next five years; a healthy power infrastructure is vital to supporting that growth. To help meet that goal, GE signed amemorandum of understanding with NPT in March of this year that called for both companies towork together to increase Vietnam’s power transmission efficiency and expertise and reduce the risk of power shortages. As part of the MoU, GE was certified as an approved supplier of equipment to NPT and will establish training workshops to share its global experiences and expertise in the repair and selection of equipment for NPT’s transmission activities.

“PTC2 has been using similar substation equipment supplied by GE’s local engineering, procurement contractor for the past 15 years,” said Nguyen Manh Hung, president and CEO of NPT. “This collaboration is a testament of our continuous trust in GE’s advanced technology and engineering capabilities.The new capacitor banks will help us deliver more energy without costly upgrades all along our power supply chain. By improving quality and safety while reducing the amount of energy wasted on power lines, we’re helping Vietnamese companies increase their competitiveness in the world marketplace.”

The function of the Fixed Series Compensation system and its capacitors in a power grid is to improve efficiency by minimizing electrical losses and increase the overall transfer capability of the transmission system.

The contract was jointly signed on May 12, 2011, in the city of Danang, Vietnam. GE is designing, supplying, supervising installation, testing and commissioning the new capacitor banks. The capacitors are scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter of this year.