Vacon enters the medium-voltage AC drives market

The global AC drives manufacturer Vacon will take its product offering to new heights with medium-voltage AC drives. In contrast to Vacon's current low-voltage products, medium-voltage AC drives typically operate on voltages of several kilovolts and at power levels of several megawatts.

Vacon is a full-scope AC drives company which focuses 100% on AC drives, offering products from small powers to multi-megawatt solutions. The global medium-voltage AC drives market is growing, and is currently estimated at around 3 BUSD.

"Entering into the world of medium-voltage AC drives is a remarkable milestone in Vacon's history of producing reliable, high-performance products for our customers. The medium-voltage technology in AC drives is a natural extension for Vacon, since the power levels of machines and systems have increased over the years," says Vesa Laisi, Vacon's President and CEO.

The first deliveries of Vacon's medium-voltage AC drives are scheduled to take place in 2014. Customer industries that typically use medium-voltage drives include marine & offshore, mining, metals and oil & gas. Some examples of applications for these drives include propulsion, pumps, fans, conveyors and hoists.

"As a matter of fact, the initiative for taking the step towards medium-voltage AC drives came from some of our current customers. This is a great opportunity for us to expand our own product portfolio. We are strengthening our strengths and keeping our focus on product leadership. At the same time, we help our customers expand their own business by offering them a wide voltage and power range with Vacon's familiar state-of-the-art technology," says Dan Isaksson, VP, Medium Voltage Drives at Vacon.