ABB Wins $25 million in Multiple FACTS Orders

7/8/2003

Edited by PETech Staff

ABB Wins $25 million in Multiple FACTS Orders

ABB recently received three separate orders totaling $25 million to install flexible ac transmission systems (FACTS) for utilities located in the United States and Australia.

One contract, valued at approximately $13 million, was awarded by the Australian utility, TransGrid, for a static var compensator (SVC) for the 330kV ac interconnection between New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland. ABB already delivered two SVCs to PowerLink for another section of this important link. The latest SVC will be installed at the Sydney West substation in order to provide rapid voltage support to the transmission system supplying Sydney and NSW, particularly during network contingencies. This is a turnkey project scheduled for completion in July 2004.

The two U.S. contracts are worth approximately $12 million and are both upgrades of existing series compensation installations—another FACTS technology. One contract, awarded by Idaho Power, is for the replacement of an existing installation of the main 345kV system at the Goshen substation in Idaho and is vital for improving transmission capacity between generation units and load areas located in the western region of the country.

The other contract was received from Nevada Power Co. for the replacement of an existing installation at the McCullough substation, close to the city of Las Vegas. In addition to equipment delivery and site works of the new installation, this turnkey contract also includes dismantling and disposal of the existing series compensation units. The new installation will substantially increase the transmission capacity of the McCullough-Crystal line into the Los Angeles area.

The common objective of these projects is to enhance, in a cost-effective way, the feed of electrical power into major load areas in the western United States. Both projects are scheduled for completion before the summer peak load of 2004.

For more information, visit www.abb.com.