Germany’s 70 E-STATCOMs for TSOs’ Voltage, Frequency Stability
- Analysis Power Quality Voltage & Reactive Power
Marin Holt
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- 6 minutes read
- Germany's 4 TSOs (Amprion, 50Hertz, TenneT, TransnetBW) require 70 STATCOMs over the next decade
- 50Hertz targets 16,000 Mvar reactive power capacity by 2045 across its substation network
- Second-generation E-STATCOMs deliver 150 MW in 1.25 seconds via 375 MWs supercapacitor storage
- GE Vernova awarded three 300 Mvar FACTSFLEX GFM units for 50Hertz at Siedenbruenzow and Roehrsdorf
- System Stability Roadmap defines 51 processes and 18 milestones through 2030 for grid-forming deployment
Germany’s four transmission system operators , Amprion, 50Hertz, TenneT, and TransnetBW , require 70 STATCOMs over the next decade to maintain voltage and frequency stability as the country transitions to a fully renewable electricity system. The deployment represents the largest coordinated procurement of grid-forming power electronics infrastructure in Europe, with 50Hertz alone targeting 16,000 Mvar of reactive power capacity by 2045.
Critical Perspective
Germany’s four TSOs are planning to procure 70 E-STATCOMs over the next decade, with 50Hertz targeting 16,000 Mvar of reactive power capacity by 2045. This compares to Siemens Energy’s commissioning of the world’s first supercapacitor-powered STATCOM at Mehrum, which had a capacity of 150 MW. Historically, the UK’s National Grid faced similar challenges with the Hornsea offshore wind farm, where frequency control issues were addressed with a 200 MW E-STATCOM. Energy professionals should be asking: will Germany’s ambitious E-STATCOM deployment effectively bridge the stability gap created by the phase-out of nuclear and coal power?
What Is Being Built
The TSOs are shifting from first-generation STATCOMs, which stabilize voltage through reactive power compensation, to second-generation E-STATCOMs that address both voltage and frequency. The E-STATCOM standard defined jointly by all four TSOs specifies 150 MW of active power output during a rate-of-change-of-frequency event of 2 Hz/s, sustained for 1.25 seconds , requiring 375 MWs of total energy storage delivered by supercapacitor modules. Siemens Energy commissioned the world’s first supercapacitor-powered STATCOM at Mehrum in Lower Saxony, while 50Hertz awarded contracts to GE Vernova for three 300 Mvar FACTSFLEX GFM units at Siedenbruenzow and Roehrsdorf substations and to Nidec Conversion for a second-generation E-STATCOM at the Malchow substation near Berlin.
Critical Analysis
E-STATCOMs provide continuous reactive power compensation at 300 Mvar per unit, directly regulating transmission voltage within ENTSO-E operational limits. Germany’s grid faces acute stress from simultaneous nuclear shutdown (completed April 2023), coal phase-out, and growing north-south renewable power flows exceeding 12 GW transfer capacity.
5-Year Projection
The 5-year trajectory indicates severe supply chain bottlenecks for STATCOM, pushing developers toward alternative topologies and domestic manufacturing pipelines.
Why It Matters
Germany shut down its last nuclear plant in April 2023 and continues phasing out coal, removing the synchronous generators that previously provided grid inertia and voltage support. The resulting stability gap directly threatens the country’s target of 80% renewable electricity by 2030 and 100% by the mid-2030s. Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs published a System Stability Roadmap with 51 specific processes and 18 milestones through 2030, establishing a three-pillar model: mandatory technical connection rules, market-based procurement of ancillary services, and grid operator-owned assets including STATCOMs and HVDC converters with grid-forming capability.
The procurement pipeline creates a competitive market among Siemens Energy, GE Vernova, Nidec Conversion, and Hitachi Energy. GE Vernova manufactures STATCOM components at facilities in Dresden and Tampere, Finland. Nidec Conversion supplies the supercapacitor-based E-STATCOM platform. Amprion plans five to nine additional grid-forming units beyond the Rheinau and Opladen installations already operating at 300 Mvar each. The scale of deployment , 70 units across four TSO territories , establishes Germany as the reference market for grid-forming voltage and frequency regulation equipment worldwide.
