Wednesday 29 August 2012

ABB wins $60m US power system order

Power and automation technology firm ABB has been awarded a contract worth around $60million (£37.9million) to replace a power transmission system in the US.

The order from American Electric Power (AEP) includes engineering, supply, installation and commissioning of a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) converter station in Texas, which is expected to enable efficient power exchange and improve grid reliability.

The back-to-back transmission system means it will help deliver around 220MW of power in either direction, with an asynchronous interconnection between the Texas and Oklahoma power grids. It will also have a “black-start” capability, which will enable fast grid restoration during a power outage as it allows energy to be used from the other end of the link.

Brice Koch, Head of ABB's Power Systems Division said: “In addition to enhancing grid reliability and power stability, our HVDC solution will enable the efficient transmission of electricity across this important interconnection.”

The new system is expected to be operational in 2014, whilst the existing station will continue working during the construction period.