Mersey Reactive Power

National Grid identified an increasing need for reactive power absorption in the area due to several factors, such as the increased integration of low carbon power sources.
Having the correct amount of reactive power in the system is critical to manage voltage levels, provide network resilience and improve efficiency.
Low carbon energy sources don’t provide or absorb reactive power in the same way as traditional fossil fuel plants which are being phased out.
We needed to find a different approach from traditional reactive power solutions that could be accomplished to spec at a reasonable budget.

We designed, installed and managed a 200MVAr shunt reactor.
The 200-tonne reactor was installed at Frodsham substation in 2020 and went live in May 2022 with a planned asset lifespan of 40 years.
We oversaw every aspect of the project from start to finish and coordinated both land agreements and planning applications.
We sourced all civil, mechanical, and electrical contractors, working under our own project management, to successfully install the reactor.
When a problem arose during installation, we deployed a military style “Bailey bridge” to facilitate a river crossing and get the equipment into position.
The project was sold in 2023 to Downing Renewables & Infrastructure Trust for £11 million.
We have a continuing role managing the asset on a day-to-day basis for the new owner, including regular inspection and maintenance, annual outages and all of the interfaces with Ofgem, NGESO and NGET.