Siemens Sitras SFC plus static frequency converters
Siemens Sitras SFC plus static frequency converters
Siemens Sitras SFC plus static frequency converters
Siemens Sitras SFC plus static frequency converters

Dec 21, 2012– Nuremberg, Germany  (Techreleased) – To strengthen the traction power supply networks in Sweden and Switzerland by establishing additional links to the public power supply grid, the Siemens Infrastructure & Cities Sector will supply Sitras SFC plus static frequency converters to Swedish Transport Administration and to Swiss Federal Railways (SBB). The order volume for both projects amounts to approximately EUR60 million. The orders include the delivery, installation, and commissioning of eight multilevel direct converter blocks in Sweden and two converter blocks in Switzerland. The systems use state-of-the-art multilevel power converter technology, which makes it possible for them to convert energy highly efficiently and with almost no system perturbations. In addition, they are quieter than conventional systems and have a smaller footprint.

“The current orders from Sweden and Switzerland demonstrate that we are on the right track with multilevel power converter technology. We’re sure that this technology will succeed and become an industry standard in the rail electrification market,” said Mirko Düsel, CEO of the Rail Electrification Business Unit at Siemens. In Southern Sweden, Siemens will construct eight converter blocks over all near Astorp, Ystad, Älvängen, and Lund with a total capacity of 180 MVA to feed additional power from Sweden’s public 50 Hz power supply into the 16.7 Hz traction power supply network of the Swedish Transport Administration. The multilevel direct converter from the Sitras SFC plus series makes it possible to link the two networks, which use different frequencies. The first of these systems is to be commissioned already in the summer of 2015.

As part of the order from Switzerland, Siemens will construct two 60 MVA converter blocks in Winkeln in the Canton of St. Gallen directly next to a substation belonging to Swiss energy service provider Axpo. Axpo is expanding the substation’s 220 kilovolt switchgear specifically to link the converter to the public grid. On the rail network side, the converters will feed in into the 16.7 Hz high voltage grid of SBB and are expected to go into service in the summer of 2015. “With the new converter technology from Siemens, we can operate the systems with reduced complexity while achieving a higher level of efficiency. Siemens Smart Grid has the answer to the requirements of state-of-the-art networks as well as the right solutions. We benefit from that,” said Markus Siegenthaler, Overall Project Manager FU Winkeln, Swiss Federal Railways. Although multilevel direct converters from Siemens are already being used in Eskilstuna and Häggvik in the greater Stockholm area in Sweden, this is the first time the technology will be used in Switzerland. In Germany, two converters of this type are being used to link the German Railway’s network to the Franken 1 power plant located in Nuremberg Gebersdorf. Four additional systems in Adamsdorf, Rostock, Cottbus, and Frankfurt (Oder) will be completed in 2013 and 2014.

What’s special about the Sitras SFC plus converters is their multilevel power converter technology: It uses multiple modular power transistor components (IGBT) switched in series and capacitors which create the desired voltage in small steps. This process reduces the switching frequencies and, as a result, the power loss by approximately 10 per cent compared to previous systems. The noise level is reduced as well, which benefits residents. In addition, the multilevel systems require approximately 20 per cent less space because they can be built more compactly than other solutions on the market.

Energy-efficient, eco-friendly solutions for the rail electrification are part of Siemens’ Environmental Portfolio. In fiscal 2011, revenue from the portfolio totalled nearly EUR30 billion, making Siemens one of the world’s largest suppliers of eco-friendly technologies. In the same period, the company’s products and solutions enabled customers to reduce their carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by nearly 320 million tons, an amount equal to the total annual CO2 emissions of Berlin, Delhi, Hong Kong, Istanbul, London, New York, Singapore and Tokyo.