ABB has won a $62m order from the South African utility Eskom to strengthen one of the region’s most important cross-border power transmission systems.
’This refurbishment will significantly increase grid reliability and power flow in this key area,’ said Samir Brikho, head of ABB’s Power Systems division. ‘Using our semiconductor valves and control technology, we have already successfully upgraded a number of existing HVDC plants with minimal disruption.’
This HVDC system helps to integrate hydropower produced at the Cahora Bassa dam in
ABB’s scope of supply includes new thyristor valves with an outdoor design that will reportedly minimise the interruption of supply from Cahora Bassa during the upgrade. The entire control and protection system will be replaced using ABB’s computerized Mach 2 system, and ABB will also supply new AC harmonic and DC filters using DC capacitors.
Earlier this month, ABB won a $30m contract from Eskom for equipment to help strengthen power grid reliability, which marked the largest order for transmission circuit breakers received by ABB.