ABB Wins $140-Million Transformers Order from China
Transformers to aid efficient transmission of large volume of power
Zurich, Switzerland, April 3, 2009 - ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has won an order worth around $140 million to deliver transformers to the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) for a high-voltage power corridor that will strengthen the Chinese electricity network and help meet rising demand in the Shandong coastal region. The order was booked in the first quarter.
The power link will transmit 4,000 megawatts of electricity at 660 kilovolts over 1,350 km, from Ningxia province to Shandong, China's second most populous province. This is part of China's efforts to develop energy-rich regions and transmit power from areas of surplus to centers of high demand.
The corridor will use high-voltage direct current (HVDC) technology to maximize transmission efficiency. ABB's transformers will serve the stations that convert power to direct current for transmission and back to alternating current for distribution, and will be supplied in cooperation with local Chinese partners.
Each converter transformer is extremely large, weighing over 500 tonnes. This presents challenges that will be addressed by technical solutions like reducing the width of the transformers for the Ningxia station, located in a remote and mountainous area, so that they can be transported by rail.
"These high-specification transformers will enable efficient transmission of a large quantity of power across a long distance and with minimum losses," said Bernhard Jucker head of ABB's Power Products division.
ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs more than 120,000 people.
