T/F: HVDC converter reactive power need

TRUE.

• Line-commutated (thyristor) converters always draw current that lags the voltage, both as rectifier (firing angle $\alpha$) and as inverter (extinction angle $\gamma$), plus extra lag due to commutation overlap $\mu$.
• The reactive power consumed is roughly $Q \approx P\tan\phi$ with $\cos\phi \approx \frac{1}{2}[\cos\alpha + \cos(\alpha+\mu)]$; in practice $Q$ is 50–60% of the transmitted real power at each end.
• This reactive power is supplied by AC filters (which also remove harmonics), shunt capacitor banks, synchronous condensers or SVC/STATCOM at the converter station.

So a 1000 MW HVDC terminal needs about 500–600 MVAr of local reactive support. (Voltage-source converter HVDC does not have this need, but the statement refers to conventional HVDC.)