ABB wins $75 million SVC power order in Canada

MONTREAL, QUEBEC - ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has won an order worth $75 million (US) from Hydro-Québec for static VAr compensators (SVCs) - equipment which enables quick responses to electrical disturbances in the grid and contributes to restoring its stability.

The installation of two SVCs on the 735 kilovolt network at the Chénier substation, west of Montreal, will be the world’s largest by capacity (with a total 1,200 megavolt-amperes reactive). The turnkey project for Hydro-Québec, the largest electric utilities in Canada, is due to be completed in 2012.

The SVC installation on the power grid contributes both to regulating the voltage of the Montreal metropolitan transmission ring and towards ensuring the stability of the network after disturbances have occurred. SVCs are a part of the FACTS (flexible alternating-current transmission systems) family of technologies that boost the security, capacity and reliability of existing power transmission systems.

“We are delighted to work with Hydro-Québec and contribute to the stability of this important transmission system,” said Peter Leupp, head of ABB’s Power Systems division. “This success further strengthens ABB’s position as the leading supplier of FACTS technologies.”

By using the existing network, FACTS solutions, where they can be applied, reduce the need for capital investment, save time and reduce the complexity associated with construction of new power plants or transmission lines. They also enable more power to reach consumers with minimum impact on the environment. ABB is a global leader in FACTS and has more than 700 installations in operation or under construction around the world.

Related News

Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Dwight Ball

N.L. premier says Muskrat Falls costs are too great for optimism about benefits

ST JOHNS - Newfoundland and Labrador's premier says the Muskrat Falls hydro megaproject is currently too much of a massive financial burden for him to be optimistic about its long-term potential.

"I am probably one of the most optimistic people in this room," Liberal Premier Dwight Ball told the inquiry into the project's runaway cost and scheduling issues.

"I believe the future is optimistic for Newfoundland Labrador, of course I do. But I'm not going to sit here today and say we have an optimistic future because of the Muskrat Falls project."

Ball, who was re-elected on May 16, has been critical of…

READ MORE
pge-rates-set-to-stabilize-in-2025

PG&E Rates Set to Stabilize in 2025

READ MORE

orono wind turbines

Canada will need more electricity to hit net-zero: IEA report

READ MORE

A resilient Germany is weathering the energy crunch

READ MORE

air pollution over LA

California's solar energy gains go up in wildfire smoke

READ MORE