ABB has over 20 years of experience in supporting wind power customers at every stage of the development and construction process, from feasibility study to grid connection of both onshore and offshore windfarms. It is the world’s largest supplier of electrical products and services to wind turbine manufacturers. Its service covers every requirement, from project management of a turnkey installation to the supply of individual components. In 2006, ABB’s wind power business generated revenues of more than £250 million.
SUBMARINE POWER AND CONTROL CABLES
ABB has an impressive track record as a global manufacturer and installer of both AC and DC submarine and onshore power cables. Oil-free extruded XLPE cable is the ideal environmentally friendly solution for applications such as the loop connections between a string of turbines and the offshore substation and the onshore connection. Integrated fibre-optics also provide the communications link for control systems. TRANSFORMERS
ABB transformers step up the 690V output from the windturbine to the 33kV required for interconnection via the local ringmain and/or substation. A dry type cast resin transformer developed specifically for windfarms can be installed in the nacelle or tower. A range of conventional oil-filled transformers is also available.
ABB transformers also play a key role at all stages in the transmission link, from the intermediary 33kV/132kV substations that interconnect the windfarms with the local distribution grid, to 275kV and 400kV transformers for the national transmission grid.
SWITCHGEAR
ABB’s GIS and AIS switchgear meets all windfarm needs from MV to EHV. Compact GIS switchgear, such as the ZX1.2 series is ideally suited for installations where space is at a premium, such as offshore substations.
OFFSHORE SUBSTATIONS
ABB’s complete service for offshore substations includes the design, layout and supply of all 33kV and 132kV switchgear and transformers, together with standby power and deluge systems for fire protection.
ONSHORE SUBSTATIONS
ABB is a world leader in the design, installation and commissioning of GIS and AIS substations, and can provide assistance with negotiating wayleaves and easements and carrying out all civil engineering works.
SCADA
ABB SCADA systems can monitor and control all aspects of the windfarm operation, such as adjustment of the turbine blade pitch and power output, as well as monitoring the condition of bearings and recording switchgear operations. SCADA also plays a vital role in meeting the protection requirements of electrical networks.
SVC AND STATCOM SYSTEMS FOR GRID CODE COMPLIANCE
The growing emphasis on compliance with national grid codes means that some windfarm developers are now confronted with requirements that are beyond the capabilities of their equipment, especially for steady state and dynamic reactive power. Consequently, they need appropriate “add-on” reactive power equipment to get grid code compliance. ABB can assess the specific requirement of each windfarm and then provide the appropriate solution, either in the form of a traditional SVC (Static Var Compensator) system or a STATCOM (Static Synchronous Compensator). The STATCOM, based on power electronics technology, provides outstanding performance for both steady-state and dynamic operation, with the added advantage of a small installation footprint.
HVDC LIGHT
HVDC Light, ABB’s high-voltage direct current transmission system - based on voltage source converter (VSC) technology – is ideal for connecting large amounts of wind power to networks (even at weak points in a network) without having to improve the short-circuit power ratios and without the need for additional reactive compensation, as this is inherent in the converters. HVDC Light can transmit power economically over long distances, with losses up to 50 per cent less than in AC systems, so it is especially suited to offshore windpower schemes.
HVDC Light uses underground (or submarine) XLPE cables and not overhead lines as the DC power link between the converter stations. The oil-free cables, with neutral electromagnetic fields, have significant environmental benefits and can result in less public objections to construction and significantly shorter project completion times. The converter stations are small and light and can easily be installed on offshore platforms.
Windfarm projects
HVDC LIGHT FOR THE WORLD’S LARGEST OFFSHORE WINDFARM
In September 2007 ABB was awarded a contract worth over £200 million by the German utility E.ON Netz GmbH to supply an HVDC Light system to connect the world’s largest offshore wind farm to the German grid. The 400MW Borkum-2 park, located more than 100 km off the German coast in the North Sea, will be the most remote wind farm in the world. ABB is responsible for system engineering including design, supply and installation of the offshore converter, sea and land cable systems and the onshore converter. Most of the transmission system provided by ABB will be laid underwater and underground, minimizing environmental impact.
SUBSEA CABLE FOR BURBO BANK
ABB has just completed a major project for SeaScape Energy Limited to supply all the submarine cables for the 90MW Burbo Bank offshore wind farm project in Liverpool Bay. The project involved 40km of 36kV armoured XLPE three-core AC cable, with integrated optical fibre for remote monitoring and control. This cable interconnects 25 3.6MW wind turbines in Liverpool Bay at the entrance of the River Mersey, and transports the power 6.5km to shore. The wind farm is expected to produce some 315GWh per year, enough electricity for around 75,000 homes. An ABB installation team carried out the termination and testing work on each turbine.
TRANSFORMERS AND SWITCHGEAR FOR HADYARD HILL
ABB power transformers, as well as associated high voltage switchgear, capacitors, surge arresters and control equipment, are playing a key role in connecting Scottish and Southern Energy’s new £85 million Hadyard Hill Windfarm Development – the UK’s largest onshore windfarm – to Scotland’s main power transmission grid. The development project included a substation and control building, to convert the power generated by the wind farm to the 132kV required for grid transmission, together with a 16km overhead power line to connect the site to the grid supply point (GSP).
STATCOMS FOR TWO UK WINDFARMS
Nordex, a leading supplier of megawatt turbines, is installing ABB state-of-the-art STATCOMS (Static Synchronous Compensators) at two of the UK’s largest new wind farms, Scout Moor (65MW) and Little Cheyne Court (60MW). The STATCOMs will provide Nordex with a cost-effective solution for dynamic, real-time, reactive power compensation within a compact installation footprint, increasing the resilience of the power generated by the wind farms and helping them comply with the stringent requirements of the Grid Code for voltage regulation and power factor performance.