Multilevel STATCOMs — A new converter topology that opens up the market

STATCOM technology has experienced a significant degree of market diffusion over the last years. This is largely due to the technological advancement of the modular multilevel converter topology. This paper presents the basic aspects of this topology and provides three case studies for existing multilevel STATCOM references that underline the advantages of this technology — namely: modularity, low interaction with the network through low generation of harmonics and less primary equipment resulting in a small footprint.