ABB wins $165 million transformers order in China

ABB will supply 800 kilovolt UHVDC transformers for both converter stations of the new Jinping-Sunan ultrahigh-voltage transmission system. The order worth about $165 million was received from State Grid Corporation of China.

The converter transformers will facilitate the efficient and reliable flow of power across a new UHVDC link that will transmit hydropower from Yalong river in Sichuan province to the highly populated Jiangsu province on the east coast of China. By using the highest available direct current voltage levels, it will be possible to transmit 7,200 megawatts of electricity across more than 2,000 km.The transmission link is scheduled to be energized by SGCC in 2013.

“800 kV UHVDC transformers are key components of ultrahigh-voltage power links that deliver large amounts of electricity over very long distances and help integrate environmentally friendly renewable energies. There are many challenges involved in building them, for example, increasing the technical specifications of the insulation and redesigning critical components like bushings,” said Bernhard Jucker, head of ABB’s Power Products division. “The ongoing cooperation between ABB and SGCC has played a key role in this success”.