Mastering Voltage and Reactive Power Control in Power Systems Using SVCs and STATCOMs – Enhancing Grid Resilience in the Renewable Energy Era

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Learn the principles and functions of SVC and STATCOM and compare the advantages and limitations of each in different applications
• Gain practical system design knowledge to specify key parameters for various network scenarios and understand cost-benefit trade-offs in project planning
• Enhance grid integration & compliance for reactive power support and explore best practices for harmonic filtering and system stability
• Develop operation & maintenance skills to enhance performance monitoring, fault diagnostics, and maintenance strategies to understand lifecycle management and asset optimization
• Review successful SVC and STATCOM implementations for maximising reliability

• Utility Engineers and Managers (TSOs and DSOs) that are responsible for voltage and reactive power control
• Power System Engineers in network planning and grid stability analysis
• Renewable Energy Developers & Operators managing wind, solar, and battery storage projects
• Industrial Power Engineers handling large-scale industrial loads and electrified rail networks
• Professionals supporting grid connection studies and power system modelling
• Asset & Operations Managers overseeing reactive power compensation systems

Prerequisites:
No prior experience with SVC and STATCOM is required, but basic knowledge of power systems and voltage management is beneficial.

• Intermediate
• Advanced

This course will provide comprehensive learning resources, including course materials for future reference. Each topic will commence with a clearly defined intended learning outcome (LO). The learning experience will be enriched through diverse activities such as quizzes, videos, and assessments, ensuring engagement and understanding. In addition to the core material, participants will have access to additional resources like articles, case studies, and tools. The course structure incorporates interactive elements, such as group discussions, case studies, and practical exercises, enhancing hands-on learning experiences. Q&A sessions will provide opportunities for clarifications and deeper understanding.

Your expert course leader is a highly experienced Power Systems Engineer with over 28 years of experience in the electricity supply industry and energy expertise across Australia and international markets. He has held senior technical and leadership roles with Powerlink Queensland as a subject matter expert for Voltage Control, Reactive Power, STATCOM/SVC and Power Quality. At Arcadis as Associate Technical Director; VicGrid as VTIF Project Director for Planning and Modelling and energySEA/Global Power Energy as Manager mainly on Power Systems and Executive Power Systems Advisor. In these roles, he has led teams of highly skilled power systems engineers delivering generator connections, data centre load connections, transmission planning, and strategic power system advisory services.

He is a recognised specialist in power quality, power system harmonics, and renewable energy integration. His expertise spans harmonic assessment and mitigation, harmonic filter design, power system modelling, Renewable Energy Zones (REZ), system strength, voltage stability, reactive power control, FACTS technologies (SVC/STATCOM), HV/EHV substations, SCADA and digital substations, and the integration of wind farms, solar farms, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), and large industrial loads. He has successfully led multidisciplinary engineering teams delivering high-voltage infrastructure projects with a combined capital value exceeding USD 300 million, consistently achieving technical excellence while meeting project budget and schedule objectives.

As a trainer and technical educator, he delivers advanced courses on power quality, harmonic analysis and mitigation, voltage and reactive power control, Volt-VAr optimisation, Conservation Voltage Reduction (CVR), power factor correction, FACTS technologies (SVC/STATCOM), and renewable energy grid integration. He is proficient in a wide range of industry-standard engineering software, including ETAP, DIgSILENT PowerFactory, PSS®E, PSCAD, MATLAB, LabVIEW, Mathcad, SQL, VBA, and C++. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Power Systems Harmonics and Network Modelling from the University of Wollongong, a Master of Systems Engineering from the Queensland University of Technology, and a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering (Honours) from the University of Queensland. He is a Fellow of Engineers Australia (FIEAust) and a Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng), Registered Professional Engineer of Queensland (RPEQ), National Professional Engineer Register (NPER), and International Professional Engineer (IntPE Aus). He is an active contributor to international standards and industry development through his participation in IEC, Standards Australia, and CIGRE working groups.

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