ABB has won a turnkey contract worth over £5 million to upgrade a 275kV mesh corner substation in Leeds
The project includes the installation of a new MSCDN (mechanically switched capacitor damping network) and modification of the existing feeder circuit to strengthen the National Grid Transco (NGT) network.
The new MSCDN will provide reactive power compensation for the substation to ensure that the power system is both balanced and efficient. Reactive power assists the flow of electricity along a conductor (in this case a transmission line) enabling the voltage to be maintained at the required level.
In principle, an MSCDN is one of the simplest forms of compensation since it is switched by circuit breakers rather than power electronics, and as such it provides a cost effective means of strengthening the transmission network. On site work will begin in January 2005 and the project is scheduled for completion in October 2005.