A comparative analysis of reactive power compensation using reactors and STATCOMs in primary substations: a case study in Milan, Italy

The article aims to compare the benefits derived from the installation of two different technologies for reactive power compensation systems in distribution networks: reactors and static synchronous compensators. The analysis, conducted on the Unareti electrical distribution grid, explicitly evaluates these two technologies’ help when installed at the primary substation level, considering long-term scenarios to identify the technology that provides more significant benefits throughout its lifespan. Starting from the actual energy flows recorded over one year in the eleven primary substations of Milan and Rozzano, and considering the impact of the energy transition on electricity demand as well as the consequent predicted evolution of the electrical grid resulting from the expected commissioning of eight new primary substations, the article assesses the benefits provided by the two different technologies in both the current (AS IS) and the future (TO BE) scenario by 2050. The simulation results demonstrate that due to the ongoing energy transition and the consequent shift of energy consumption to the electrical vector, static synchronous compensators can offer greater flexibility in response to changes in the operating conditions that will affect distribution networks in the coming years.