ABB India wins INR 125 crore order to upgrade 3 substations in Agricultural Belt

ABB India has announced that it has been awarded an INR 125 crore order by PowerGrid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL), for the extension of three substations in Vadodara, Manesar and Malerkotla. This is a part of a larger order (valued ~INR 175 crores) awarded to ABB Group. The order was booked in the second quarter of 2015.

Gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) will be used to accommodate the expansion of all three existing substations. While in Vadadora and Manesar this involves the extension of the current 765/400 kilovolt (kV) GIS substations, in Malerkotla the substation will be upgraded from air-insulated switchgear (AIS) to GIS. Commissioning is scheduled for the end of 2016.

“This GIS solution will help the customer extend substation capacity, within the limited space, considerably more than a traditional air insulated switchgear solution,” said N Venu, President Power Systems Division, ABB India.

“ABB has been growing with India for over five decades and is well positioned to partner in improving access to electricity. India’s peak demand is only around 60 percent of its installed generation capacity, so increasing focus on technology adoption and strengthening transmission and distribution infrastructure will significantly improve electricity availability.”

ABB’s solution will help the state utility augment their substations to meet growing demand in the states of Gujarat, Haryana and Punjab, which form the major part of the country’s agricultural belt. Higher agricultural production demands call for increased and reliable power supply that is critical for farmers to manage crop irrigation.

The scope of this project involves consists of a substation package including supply of 2X500 MVA, 400/220 kV transformers, nine 400 kV and seven 220 kV GIS bays, a 125 MVAR reactor and other associated equipment including Power Line Carrier Communication (PLCC), control and relay protection, augmentation of substation automation system based on IEC-61850. In addition, ABB India will carry out the installation, testing and commissioning of the substations on site.

ABB’s GIS is designed to enhance grid reliability with minimized footprint, lifecycle costs and environmental impact. ABB pioneered high-voltage GIS in the mid-1960s and continues to drive this technology with a comprehensive product portfolio, covering voltage levels from 72.5 kV to the 1,200 kV hybrid GIS commissioned for PGCIL’s test station at Bina, Madhya Pradesh. As a market leader in high-voltage GIS technology, ABB has a global installed base of more than 25,000 bays.