Static Var Compensator upgrade in a steel mill

Static Var Compensators have been in use since the early 1970s in steel mills as a means to mitigate power quality problems associated with the operation of Electric Arc Furnaces. The need for upgrading these systems has become apparent for various reasons such as extending the life of the equipment, improving reliability, supporting load additions and increasing the plant productivity. This paper describes an example of such an SVC upgrade in a typical steel mill. The successful implementation of changes confirms the feasibility of bringing older systems up to par with today's increased standards of performance and reliability.