ABB motors have been selected to stabilise water levels in a giant freshwater reservoir which forms part of a dam and tidal barrier system being built to protect Singapore from flooding.
When completed in 2007 the giant Marina Barrage tidal barrier will span the 350m wide Marina Channel and separate downtown Singapore from the open sea of the Singapore Strait. The barrage will create a giant freshwater reservoir that will supply one-sixth of the city-state’s needs for drinking water while protecting low-lying districts from high tides and monsoon flooding.
The reservoir will help meet Singapore's growing demand for water. By 2011, consumption is expected to increase by about one-third. About 50 per cent of Singapore's potable water is now imported from Malaysia.
When the reservoir water level rises during the monsoon rains, seven high-capacity pumps driven by seven ABB motors will keep the water level stable and prevent it from spilling over into nearby areas that are prone to flooding.
Singapore’s national water agency PUB selected ABB’s 1600 kilowatt, 6.6 kilovolt medium voltage motors and three alternators to supplement the power supply and provide standby power during blackouts.
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I _do_ remember British Rail - and that it was <i>literally</i> a national joke https://youtu.be/zV2lmSDKvO8