A converter station includes two line-commutated converters for energy transmission through a bipolar high voltage direct current transmission link. The two converters are electrically connected in an anti-parallel circuit to the same pole of the high-voltage direct current transmission link. One of the converters is operated as a rectifier in an AC grid and the other converter is operated as an inverter in the AC grid. A station reactive power exchanged by the converter station with the AC grid is controlled by real power stipulations for converter real powers which are exchanged between the converters and the AC grid. A method for operating the converter station is also provided.