New Application For Voltage Regulation Systems Broadens Market

Westborough, MA - American Superconductor Corporation announced a new order for three D-VAR(R) (Dynamic VAR) systems. The D-VAR systems will be installed in a Canadian mining facility of a globally recognized company. The D-VAR systems, each of which is rated at 12 mega-volt-amperes reactive (MVAR), will manage demanding voltage conditions to improve the reliability and quality of electric power needed to increase industrial productivity. American Superconductor expects to ship the D-VAR systems in the third and fourth quarter of its fiscal year 2006.

According to industry experts, voltage sags lasting less than two seconds cause over 90% of plant shut downs, which can last from hours to days and require costly repairs of damaged equipment and loss of product. EPRI has estimated that the cost of these momentary voltage sags to U.S. industry alone is $15 billion to $24 billion per year.

"Voltage regulation is critical to the success of a variety of industries that require reliable as well as very high quality electric power to keep their equipment running at high production rates," said Chuck Stankiewicz, vice president and general manager of AMSC's Power Electronic Systems business unit. "A momentary drop or sag in voltage can be very costly since it can halt the manufacturing process. Industries that are particularly sensitive to this include semiconductor manufacturing and other industries that perform continuous processing of materials. Remote mining operations are also susceptible to low voltage problems, which cause equipment outages, because they are often located at the end of long radial transmission lines."

D-VAR voltage regulation systems are designed to dynamically regulate voltage levels on power transmission grids and in industrial facilities. Classified as a Flexible AC Transmission System (FACTS) device, D-VAR dynamic voltage regulation systems detect and instantaneously compensate for voltage disturbances by injecting leading or lagging reactive power, measured in VARs, precisely where it is needed on the grid. Powered by AMSC's PowerModule(TM) 250 advanced power electronic converters, the D-VAR systems can be customized to meet specific customer needs through variations in operating software and in the number of PowerModule electronic converters required for the proper level of VAR support.

This order represents the eighth D-VAR sale for AMSC in Canada, and is the 40th D-VAR system ordered worldwide. AMSC's D-VAR technology, and the closely-related PQ-IVR(TM) system, provide flexible solutions that assure reliable and high quality power for industrial sites.

SOURCE: American Superconductor Corporation