AEP UPFC project: installation, commissioning and operation of the ±160 MVA STATCOM (phase I)

American Electric Power (AEP) has selected its Inez Substation in eastern Kentucky for the location of the world’s first Unified Power Flow Controller (UPFC) installation. Comprising two +160 MVA voltage-sourced GTO-thyristorbased inverters, this installation is not only the first practical demonstration of the UPFC concept, but also by far the highest power GTO-based Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS) equipment ever installed. The installation will be the first demonstration of this type of equipment connected in series with a transmission line. The project is a collaborative effort between AEP, the Westinghouse Electric Corporation, and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), and has been divided into two phases corresponding to the installation of the shunt- and seriesconnected inverters respectively. Phase I (installation and commissioning of the shunt inverter (STATCOM)) was completed successfully in July, 1997, and the STATCOM is now operational. Phase 11 is scheduled for completion in early 1998. This paper gives a brief background to the project, describes the installation and special features of the equipment, and reports on the Phase I commissioning and STATCOM operation.