Reactive Power Compensation for MV Networks in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Power Factor Company provides reactive power compensation for medium-voltage networks in Saudi Arabia, covering 11 kV and 13.8 kV plants that need a capacitor bank on the incoming supply. We size the bank from your load data, review the design with an engineer, and supply a metal-enclosed MV unit with its protection and switching.
What you receive: a written proposal with the compensation scheme, kvar rating, protection philosophy, standards, lead time and price within one working day of receiving your single-line diagram and a month of billing data. Request a quotation
How do you compensate reactive power on an MV network?
You connect shunt capacitors where the reactive current flows, so the supply stops carrying it. Motors and transformers draw magnetising current that does no work, and the utility meter counts it as reactive energy. A capacitor bank supplies that current locally. On a medium-voltage network the bank sits either on the MV busbar at the main substation or at the low-voltage side of each transformer. The right location depends on where the reactive load is, how it varies, and how much harmonic content the network carries.
Many plants fed at 11 kV or 13.8 kV correct at the transformer secondary with an APFC panel, because low-voltage banks switch in small steps and cost less per kvar. An MV bank earns its place when large MV motors or a single big reactive load dominate the demand.
Reactive power compensation options: LV, MV or dynamic
Your load profile decides which option fits. The table compares the three.
| Option | Where it connects | Suited to | Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| LV automatic bank | Transformer secondary busbar | Mixed loads that vary through the day | IEC 61439-1/-2; IEC 61921 |
| Fixed or stepped MV bank | MV busbar at the main substation | Large MV motors, steady reactive load | IEC 60871; IEC 62271-200 |
| Dynamic compensation | LV or MV, thyristor switched | Welders, presses, cranes, fast-changing load | Project specification |
What is dynamic reactive power compensation? It is compensation that responds within a few mains cycles, using thyristor switches instead of contactors or breakers, so the correction follows a load that changes faster than a contactor can move. For rapidly cycling loads see our thyristor switched option.
What we deliver for MV compensation
A complete MV bank is more than capacitor units. Your proposal lists each item against your specification:
- three-phase capacitor units in a metal-enclosed or open-rack arrangement;
- a vacuum or SF6 switching device suited to capacitive duty;
- series reactors to limit inrush current and, where harmonics are present, to detune the bank;
- unbalance and overcurrent protection, with discharge devices; and
- an earthing switch, interlocks and nameplate and test documentation.
We build with ABB, Schneider Electric and Siemens components. MV banks are supplied through our manufacturing partners and reviewed by our engineers before release: up to 13.8 kV (33 kV on request), 300–10,000 kVAr, typically 8–12 weeks. An 11kV capacitor bank and a 13.8kV capacitor bank for Saudi Arabia follow the same scope, with insulation levels and protection settings set by the system voltage.
The table gives the scope and the standards.
| Item | Range / specification | Standard | Typical lead time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compensation study | kvar, location, step layout and harmonic resonance check from your load data | IEC 60871; IEEE 18 | 3–4 weeks |
| MV capacitor bank | Up to 13.8 kV (33 kV on request), 300–10,000 kVAr | IEC 60871-1 | 8–12 weeks |
| Switchgear and reactors | Capacitor-duty breaker or contactor, inrush and detuning reactors | IEC 62271-100; IEC 62271-200 | 3–4 weeks |
| Protection | Unbalance, overcurrent and earth fault, set from the study | Manufacturer type-tested | Included in design |
| Factory acceptance test | Witnessed on request, with test record | IEC 60871-1 | Included in build time |
| Commissioning | Energisation tests and power factor verification on site | Project procedure | included in the 8–12 week programme |
How is reactive power calculated for a bank?
The reactive power you need is the kW demand multiplied by the difference between the tangent of your present power-factor angle and the tangent of the target angle. A plant drawing 2,000 kW at 0.80 power factor and aiming for 0.95 needs about 2,000 x (0.750 - 0.329) = 842 kvar. That figure is an example, not a rating. We also check how the bank interacts with the transformer and any drives, because a capacitor and the network inductance can resonate. Where you want the lower-voltage method in detail, read PFC panel design and sizing.
Utility rules for MV customers are set by SEC. Under the Saudi Electricity Company tariff: 0.90 is the minimum above 1 MVA contract load; we design to 0.95.
How does an MV compensation project run?
- Enquiry. You send the single-line diagram, transformer ratings and a month of billing data.
- Site data. We confirm the system voltage, fault level, motor list and any drives, and we propose a power quality survey if the harmonic data is missing. Surveys use analysers from our Italian partner, Elcontrol Energy Net.
- Engineering. An engineer sets the kvar, steps, reactor tuning and protection, and checks for resonance.
- Submission. We issue the single-line diagram, datasheets and general arrangement for approval.
- Manufacture and test. The bank is built and tested to the approved drawings, with a witnessed test if you require it.
- Delivery and installation support. We coordinate transport, positioning and cable termination guidance with your contractor.
- Commissioning. We energise the bank in steps and confirm the power factor against the target.
- Documentation and support. You receive as-built drawings, test records and the manual.
Who we compensate MV networks for
Saudi Power Factor Company has worked in Saudi Arabia since 2010 and is approved by Saudi Aramco, SABIC and the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu. We have delivered projects for all three, and our systems hold ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 certification. MV compensation suits cement and steel plants, petrochemical sites, pumping stations and campuses with their own substation.
We have worked on projects for Saudi Aramco, SABIC and the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, in all regions of Saudi Arabia. Tell us your plant type and city in the quotation form.
Jubail is about 1 hour from Dammam and Riyadh about 4 hours by road; Jeddah and Yanbu are reached by air or road.
MV compensation questions
Who provides reactive power compensation in Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Power Factor Company provides compensation of reactive load from its Dammam base, from LV automatic panels to engineer-reviewed MV capacitor banks. We have been active since 2010 and are approved by Saudi Aramco, SABIC and the Royal Commission.
What affects the cost of an MV capacitor bank?
The main factors are total kvar, system voltage and fault level, the number of steps, whether reactors are needed, the switching device, the type of enclosure, and the testing and documentation required. Send your single-line diagram and billing data and the proposal prices these against your specification.
How long does MV bank supply take?
Lead time depends on the voltage, kvar and drawing approval. Our typical lead time is 8–12 weeks. A complete single-line diagram and transformer data at enquiry shorten the schedule most.
What happens if reactive power increases?
Current in the supply rises with no extra useful work, so cables and transformers heat, voltage drops and losses grow, and the power factor on your bill falls. Compensation removes the extra current at its source and releases capacity on the transformer.
Should I compensate at MV or at LV?
Start from your load list. Mixed motor and process loads usually compensate economically at low voltage, while a few large MV motors favour a bank on the MV bus. We compare both with your data, and your proposal recommends the lower-cost route that meets the target.
Can you review a consultant's MV design?
Yes. We review the consultant's single-line diagram, short-circuit data and study, check the resonance and protection settings, and report any differences in a short note before we issue drawings for approval.
Looking for reactive power compensation in Saudi Arabia? Send us your single-line diagram and one month of electricity billing data and receive a quotation within one working day.
Email: inquiry@saudipowerfactor.com | Request a quotation