The state government has announced plans to install Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM) systems at seven key substations to strengthen the power grid and improve supply reliability. The decision was disclosed in a press release issued by the transmission utility and the Department of Energy and Petrochemicals, which said the move follows an earlier deployment that proved effective in stabilising regional voltage.

The bulk of the new equipment will comprise ±125 megavolt-ampere reactive (MVAR) STATCOM units to be commissioned at six existing 220 kilovolt (kV) substations and at the upcoming 400 kV Dholera-2 substation. The existing sites named for the installation are Tharad, Deodar, Sagapara, Kheralu, Kukma and Dhrangadhra, and the release indicated the additions aim to bolster system resilience during peak demand.

The transmission utility recalled that it had earlier commissioned the state’s first ±120 MVAR STATCOM at the 220 kV Timbdi substation on 5 March 2019, becoming the first state transmission utility in India to adopt the technology at that scale. The STATCOM device functions as a smart voltage stabiliser and responds quickly to fluctuations by supplying or absorbing reactive power, thereby supporting stable grid operation.

Authorities said the need for further STATCOM capacity arose from frequent voltage instability driven by high demand, particularly from the agricultural sector, and by local transmission constraints. At Timbdi, a single-circuit transmission link and the absence of nearby generation had led to swings in voltage between 190 kV and 245 kV, the release noted. Officials expect the expanded STATCOM deployment to improve power factor, reduce transmission losses, protect equipment and deliver more reliable electricity to farmers and consumers in affected districts.