ABB, a global technology company in power and automation, has won orders worth over $85 million from Canadian utility Hydro-Quebec to upgrade its 800 kV air-insulated switchgear substations and transmission grid with new circuit breakers, power transformers and shunt reactors.
According to ABB, the upgrade is driven by the increasing demand for power and the need to integrate new sources of renewable energy.
“ABB’s technologies will help boost the integration of renewables, deliver additional power and enhance transfer of electricity over long distances. Ultra-high voltage transmission is a key focus area within our next-level strategy and a key differentiator for ABB,” said Claudio Facchin, president of ABB’s power grids division.
As part of the project, ABB will design, deliver and commission the new circuit breakers with polymeric insulators to enhance safety and robustness. It will also design, manufacture and deliver 450 MVA autotransformers and 735 kV shunt reactors.
ABB says its live tank breakers are the most widely deployed circuit breakers in operation around the world, providing a flexible, cost- and eco-efficient solution. Further, ABB’s transformer portfolio includes power transformers rated up to 1,200 kV, dry- and liquid-distribution transformers, traction and special application transformers, as well as related services and components.
