ABB has the capability, experience and in-house technologies to deliver turnkey electrical systems and plant packages (EBoP) tailored to a wide variety of plant, such as oil- and gas-fired combined-cycle power plants, coal-fired boiler power plants and hydro-electric plants, as well as industrial-sized turbine and boiler power applications.
ABB’s electrical balance of plant (EBoP) service covers every electrical control and instrumentation system and component in the power plant, apart from the generator and turbine. This includes a broad portfolio of products and solutions that provide a single source of supply for both new build and refurbishments projects, from high voltage (HV) down to the low voltage (LV) level.
ABB takes responsibility for the complete engineering, supply, manufacture, delivery to site, installation, commissioning, testing and quality of the EBoP package. Direct control over all engineering and project management functions enables ABB to ensure the best performance and quality of engineering workmanship and deliveries.
Through innovative electrical power applications, ABB helps utilities to build and maintain reliable power systems installations safely and efficiently, providing cost-effective solutions that guarantee results.
ABB has supplied turnkey EBoP solutions to a wide variety of projects worldwide, resulting in these benefits:
- Integrated solution
- Reduced project risk
- Optimization of the complete system
- Improved plant efficiency
- Pre-tested plant configurations
- Reduced overall project cost
- Reduced number of interfaces
- Consistent technology approach and spares strategy
- Improved project delivery
- Reduced commissioning time and cost
- Complete system approach to meet compliance and local regulations
- Common platform that minimizes the required investment in hardware spares, reduced training needs and eliminates the need for serial interfaces.
Boosting performance at Ratcliffe-on-Soar
E.ON has selected ABB to help boost the performance of each of the four 500 MW units at Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station in the UK by providing a high-performance grid connection. The ABB solution includes the latest HECS generator circuit breakers (GCBs) and IEC 61850 devices to ensure the reliable transfer of power to the National Grid.
ABB’s new range of HECS generator circuit breakers feature innovative technology that has improved GCB performance by more than 25 percent while simultaneously reducing the footprint, weight, noise levels and maintenance requirements of these critical power plant components.
The unit protection systems are based on ABB’s groundbreaking REC670 intelligent electronic devices, which provide a comprehensive package of benefits that improve grid reliability, safety (a key issue in the UK), productivity and system integration. The solution is fully compliant with the IEC 61850 standard.
ABB’s market-leading UniGear medium-voltage switchgear was also instrumental in winning the order due to its ability to provide protection against fault currents of up to 53 kA. E.ON also chose ABB’s fifth-generation of automatic synchronizing equipment, SYNCHROTACT 5, to synchronize the generators with the power lines, further improving grid reliability and availability.
Power systems and grid connections for Nuon Magnum multi-fuel power plant
ABB is providing the power systems and grid connections for a multi-fuel power plant to be built in The Netherlands.
The new 1,200 MW Magnum power plant for the Dutch utility Nuon is located in Eemshaven, on the North Sea coast. It will feed electricity into the existing Dutch high-voltage grid and could supply power to around two million households.
The power plant is based on gasification technology and can generate electricity from gas, coal and biomass, combining sustainability with production capacity. Nuon is developing the plant in two phases. Phase 1 is the natural gas-fired plant. Phase 2 entails investments in coal and biomass gasification technology.
The new plant, scheduled to go on line in 2011, will consist of three units, each producing about 430 MW. ABB’s scope of supply includes the auxiliary power supply systems, a 380 kV substation and the switchgear building. ABB is also supplying 380 kV cables, transformers, generator breakers, medium- and low-voltage switchgear, emergency-power diesel sets, batteries and communication systems, as well as engineering, installation, commissioning and training.
HV substations make the connection for West Burton CCGT power station
The broad scope and flexibility of ABB’s HV substation technology came to the fore in a project to connect EDF Energy’s new 1,300 MW CCGT (Combined Cycle Gas Turbine) power station at West Burton, Nottinghamshire to the National Grid. Not only has ABB constructed a complete new turnkey 400 kV AIS (Air Insulated Switchgear) outdoor substation and upgraded an existing indoor 400 kV substation with the latest GIS (Gas Insulated Switchgear) technology, it has also implemented a comprehensive, tailor-made, centralized protection and control system that interfaces with both substations and the power station.
The new CCGT power station features six generator circuits in groups of two – steam and gas combined-cycle – providing three units. ABB’s task was to design, build and commission a new AIS substation, based on its well proven HPL 400 kV circuit breakers, to bank the six incoming transformer bays together in a busbar arrangement that connects into two outgoing 400 kV underground cable circuits. This project is progressing well and is currently being prepared for handover in early 2010.
The two underground cable circuits feed into a substation located 1 km away, where ABB has constructed two new 400 kV GIS bays within an existing indoor AIS building to provide the connection to National Grid’s transmission system. ABB’s ELK3 switchgear proved the ideal choice here, since its compact, state-of-the-art design enabled it to meet EDF Energy’s requirements for performance, reliability, safety, minimal maintenance and low environmental impact within a very small installation footprint.
Protection & control systems
ABB has implemented a comprehensive custom engineered protection and control system, based on its NICAP (National scheme for Integrated Control and Protection) philosophy and incorporating the very latest Relion 670 IEDs (Intelligent Electronic Devices). This system facilitates fully independent control of theWest Burton AIS and GIS substations from three points – at each substation and the power station. Even if two control points should fail, the system can still be operated, ensuring a high level of availability.
Refurbished substation for Pembroke power station
ABB has carried out a grid connection project for RWE npower at Pembroke 400 kV grid substation, in south westWales, for a new 2.1 GW CCGT power station. The power station, due to come on line in 2011, is a five-unit plant, each comprising a gas turbine and steam turbine on a single shaft.
The original 400 kV indoor substation was constructed in the 1960s to support an oil-fired power plant, now demolished. Four of the old bays plus one spare were made available for the new works. The primary connection element at Pembroke utilizes a hybrid version of the well proven ELK 400 kV PASS (Plug & Switch System) switchgear but with the AIS coupling built in. This enabled the replacement bays to be constructed within a much smaller footprint.
The protection systems utilizes the newly National Grid-approved standardized IEDs, namely the REC670 bay control unit and REB670 low-impedance connection protection. The SCS control system features a combined panel mounted computer/monitor that uses the latest touch screen technology.
Did you know?
ABB holds the world record in switching high current at 200,000A with its generator circuit breaker using a new type of self-blast technology.