Feasibility Assessment of a New Ultra-High Voltage Silicon Carbide Power Electronics Converter Technology for Electricity Grids

The project aims to study and assess the technical and commercial feasibility of a new Ultra-High Voltage Silicon Carbide (UHV SiC) Thyristor technology for use in large-scale power electronics converters for electricity transmission applications, including High Voltage DC (HVDC) and Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS). A small-scale prototype converter incorporating the UHV SiC Thyristor technology will be built and tested for the first time, and its performance will be assessed against commercial Silicon-based converters. In addition, the economics and feasibility of the UHV SiC Thyristor technology will be assessed and quantified for use in large-scale converters in FACTS and HVDC systems.