ABB has been contracted by Xcel Energy, a major US electricity and natural gas company, to deliver two static VAr compensators to support its transmission grid expansion in New Mexico by boosting power flow and enhancing electric reliability and quality of supply. The upgrade is part of major infrastructure expansion project.
The SVCs, to be located at the Roadrunner and China Draw substations, will provide the necessary dynamic voltage support for new loads that have been added to the 115 kV network in southeast New Mexico. ABB's turnkey solution includes design, engineering, installation and commissioning of the two SVCs, each rated 115 kV. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2016.
Economic growth in southeast New Mexico, in particular developments in mining, oil and natural gas extraction coupled with residential housing, have prompted Xcel Energy to pursue an infrastructure expansion plan, with the company investing significantly in new high-voltage transmission and distribution lines and substations. The investment is part of Xcel's 'Power for the Plains', a $1.6 billion transmission expansion plan in Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma to help improve electric reliability, strengthen the existing transmission grid and integrate additional wind generation.
SVC is a FACTS (flexible alternating current transmission systems) device, one of a range of technologies designed to upgrade the capacity and flexibility of power transmission systems by increasing the amount of power that can be carried by an existing transmission network.
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