GE’s
Digital Energy business (NYSE:GE) today announced it will provide
series compensation capabilities to three of SP Power Systems Limited’s (Scottish
Power) facilities in southern Scotland, helping the utility meet and
mitigate today’s highly complex and technical grid challenges. GE’s
series compensation technology is being showcased this week at the 2014
IEEE PES Transmission & Distribution Conference & Exposition
in Chicago.
The utility will be installing series capacitor banks with
sub-synchronous resonance (SSR) filters to its substations, increasing
the reliability, efficiency and power transfer capabilities of Scottish
Power’s 400-kilovolt transmission network. The updates to Scottish
Power’s network will continue to allow power to flow seamlessly from
northern Scotland into England. GE’s series compensation solution
enables the broader initiative of the European Union’s target to
integrate more than 15 percent renewable generation into their portfolio
mix.
GE and Balfour Beatty Engineering Services (BBES)—a leading supplier for
Scottish Power’s substation equipment—will provide installation,
commissioning and maintenance of series compensation banks with SSR
filters at Scottish Power’s Moffat (400-kilovolt, 560-MVAr), Gretna
(400-kilovolt, 560-MVAr) and Eccles 1 and 2 (400-kilovolt, 442-MVAr
each) substations. These series capacitor banks with SSR filters will
provide Scottish Power, part of the Iberdrola
Group, a cost-effective method to increase power transfer across its
long transmission lines. Working with BBES enabled GE to fulfill and
meet local requirements and standards for Scottish Power’s facilities.
It also establishes a localized presence in the region that can provide
long-term support and maintenance to each of the series capacitor banks
as needed.
“Our priority is to provide a safe, reliable and efficient transmission
network to benefit all of our customers,” said Mike Young, series
compensation program manager, Scottish Power. ”We believe that GE offers
the best technical solution and meets the stringent safety and
environmental requirements of our project. We look forward to working
closely with the GE team to deliver this project.”
The four series compensation banks installed by GE will utilize its
reliable fuseless capacitor design and will include metal-oxide
varistors and triggered air gaps. The scope of the project also includes
detailed studies and analysis from GE’s
Energy Consulting business for the design and application of the SSR
filters. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2015.
“Understanding Scottish Power’s needs for an efficient and safe
transmission network, our world-renowned Energy Consulting team provided
detailed system studies and analysis on SSR mitigation and filter
design, equipping Scottish Power with the most economical and reliable
approach to meet their requirements,” said Bob Turko, general manager,
power systems, GE’s Digital Energy business. “This project reinforces
our industry-leading series compensation system utilizing SSR mitigation
filters, demonstrating GE’s strong technical capability and
reestablishing its focus in the European sector.”
This announcement builds on GE’s deep history as a supplier of SSR
mitigation solutions and filters, which dates back to the 1970s—from the
Navajo station 40 years ago to the company’s most recent project with
Newmont Mining.
GE's Digital Energy business is a global leader in transmission and
distribution solutions that manage and move power from the power plant
to the consumer. Its products and services increase the reliability of
electrical power networks and critical equipment for utility, industrial
and large commercial customers. From protecting and optimizing assets
such as generators, transmission lines and motors, to delivering
analytic tools to help manage the power grid, GE's Digital Energy
business delivers industry-leading technologies to solve the unique
challenges of each customer. For more information, visit http://www.gedigitalenergy.com/.
About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best
technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in
energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering,
moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For
more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.
Follow GE's Digital Energy business on Twitter @GEModernGrid.
Copyright Business Wire 2014