Ansaldo Energia’s Synchronous Condenser to Reinforce U.K. Grid Stability

Per contract with TSK UK, Ansaldo Energia will deliver one synchronous condenser and auxiliary components for Statkraft’s Necton Greener Grid Park: a grid stability project under construction in Norfolk, United Kingdom. The TRY-L63 flywheel FW 19-63 synchronous condenser weighs 157 tons at 10.7 meters in length. Additionally, the agreement includes commissioning and training for the facility’s operating personnel.

“We are delighted to collaborate with Statkraft and Ansaldo Energia on an innovative and meaningful project, contributing together to solutions that reinforce the stability and resilience of Great Britain’s electricity system,” said Rubén Ondina, Projects Director of TSK UK. “This project will be Statkraft’s largest synchronous compensator scheme to date and will be key to increase the deployment of renewable energy to the Great Britain grid.”

In 2022, the Necton Greener Grid Park project was awarded a contract by the National Energy System Operator under its Stability Pathfinder Program. The project is designed to bolster Great Britain’s electricity grid as variable renewable energy sources play an increasingly significant role in its energy landscape.

“The partnership with TSK UK and Necton Grid Solutions underscores our commitment to enabling grid stability solutions in a markets scenario where renewable penetration is rapidly accelerating,” said Stefano Gianatti, EVP of Thermal New Units, Ansaldo Energia. “Through this project, we are leveraging our extensive expertise in synchronous condenser technology to support the United Kingdom’s energy transition goals.”

Synchronous condensers provide critical grid services like voltage regulation, reactive power, short-circuit power, and inertia. These services are becoming more important as renewable generation and high-voltage direct-current connections rapidly expand. The technology also offers fast dynamic response, providing a proven and robust solution to ensure grid reliability and energy security under intermittent conditions.

Birr Test Facility

In late January 2026, in an effort to support Switzerland’s electricity security, Ansaldo Energia announced that its Birr test facility will operate as a strategic reserve power source during critical, high-demand winter periods. The facility, powered by a GT26 gas turbine, will enter reserve operation in February 2027 with a 250-MW power output.

The additional reserve capacity will safeguard Switzerland’s power supply until new dedicated reserve plants become fully operational in the future. Ansaldo Energia’s Birr test facility, prior to its current designation, validated advanced gas turbine technologies and drove performance, emissions, and fuel flexibility improvements.

Matra Power Plant

In December 2025, Ansaldo Energia agreed to deliver one hydrogen-ready GT26 gas turbine and one steam turbine, with respective generators, to the new combined-cycle Mátra Power Plant in Hungary. The 521-MW power plant is scheduled to enter commercial operations in early 2029, replacing an existing lignite-fired plant and satisfying Hungary’s ongoing decarbonization initiative, bolstering power supply, and securing grid stability.

During operation, the new power plant may reduce CO₂ emissions by up to approximately 70% in comparison to the retiring lignite facility. With the GT26 gas turbine, a future integration of up to 30% hydrogen in the fuel blend will further reduce emissions. The turbine also delivers a net efficiency of approximately 60% in combined-cycle configuration, leading to lower fuel consumption, reduced emissions, and competitive generation costs across the load range.