ABB is to supply a 363 kV disconnecting circuit breaker for China's State Grid China Corporation. The DCB will be installed at a 'smart' substation in Fuping, Shanxi province, where it will help will supply power for a rapidly developing industrial area there.
The DCB is combined with a fibre optic current sensor (FOCS) resulting in the integration of three substation functions - circuit-breaking, disconnecting and current measurement - in one single component and reducing the space needed for a substation bay by up to 70%. It will be the world's first DCB with FOCS application at such a high voltage level, the backbone voltage level of the grid in Northwest China. In addition to the DCB/FOCS, ABB will supply its smart medium-voltage switchgear and transformer e-devices, such as innovative self-dehydration breathers, as part of the project.
In the integrated smart grid-enabling switchgear the FOCS replaces the conventional current transformers required for measurement and protection and enables grid automation. The DCB with FOCS is part of the innovative technology being supplied by ABB for SGCC's next-generation smart substations project. This project will utilise state-of-the-art software and power technology to enable remote control, protection, automation, monitoring and diagnostics for these substations, as well as to allow a reduction in their operating costs and their footprints. The smaller footprint minimises environmental impact.
The substations will help also build the backbone for the increasing volume of renewable power in China. According to China's National Energy Administration the installed power capacity of China's renewable energy exceeded 400 million kW in 2014, accounting for more than 30% of the total installed power capacity.
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