Installation, Startup, and Performance of a Static VAR Compensator for an Electric Arc Furnace Upgrade

This steel maker upgraded the electric arc furnace (EAF) melt shop to increase production and improve the metallurgical quality of their product. The increased electrical load and harmonic generation for the new 50 MVA furnace operation necessitated the installation of an 80 MVAR static VAR compensator (SVC) to meet utility interconnect requirements. This paper is a follow-up and companion to the author's previous paper that documented comprehensive analysis to specify the SVC. This paper describes the sequence of events during the installation, commissioning, and operation of the SVC. It will assess the performance of the SVC compared with the electrical requirements of the utility for voltage regulation, flicker, harmonics, and power factor. Power quality measurements during EAF operation without the SVC established a baseline to compare improvements provided by the SVC as well as compliance with the utility limits. Additionally, events encountered during the commissioning are shared as lessons learned.