November 7, 2011 – Power and automation technology group, ABB, has won an order worth over $50 million from Hydro-Quebec to upgrade components of the utility’s ultra-high-voltage transmission system that helps transport hydroelectric power from the North to the South.
The two SVCs (static var compensators) in the Nemiscau substation, about 1000 km north of Montreal, provide reactive power compensation in the 735-kV electricity network. The upgrades are scheduled to be completed by 2014.
“In addition to enhancing the reliability of the existing grid, these upgrades will also enable significant life extension of the SVCs and reduce electrical losses substantially,” said Peter Leupp, head of ABB’s Power Systems division.
SVCs compensate for fluctuations in the voltage and current of an electric grid, thereby allowing more power to flow through the network while maintaining network safety and stability, says ABB. They are part of ABB’s family of flexible alternating current transmission systems (FACTS) technologies, which help enhance the capacity, security and flexibility of power transmission systems, continues ABB, and contribute to the development of smarter grids.
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