ABB Commissions SVC For Allegheny Power
Congestion and reliability improve on 500kV PJM transmission system
Raleigh, NC, Greensburg, PA, and Valley Forge, PA - ABB Measurement & Analytics, the leading power and automation technology company, announced recently it has completed work on what is now the world's largest Static Var Compensator (SVC).
The SVC, which was placed in-service today, is located at Allegheny Power's Black Oak Substation near Rawlings, Maryland. The installation will enhance the reliability on Allegheny Power's 500kV Black Oak-Beddington transmission line – one of the most congested lines in the PJM area – by quickly changing reactive power levels to control the line's voltage. In addition, the SVC will enable increased transmission capacity on multiple 500 kV lines in the PJM region.
The project was initiated as part of PJM's Regional Transmission Expansion Plan, which identifies upgrades and additions to ensure the reliability of the electric transmission system throughout its multi-state region. "The Black Oak SVC will benefit millions of customers by providing a new level of reliability to a critical transmission line serving the Mid-Atlantic region," said David E. Flitman, President, Allegheny Power. "Further, allowing more power to flow on existing lines is an important step in keeping pace with the region's increased demand for electricity."
The Black Oak SVC turnkey project was completed in 14 months, a world record given its size, complexity and scope.. "Collaboration was essential in meeting this aggressive timeline," said Flitman. "If it were not for the Allegheny and ABB teams working so closely together, we simply would not have been able to get the system online this quickly."
"Building the world's largest SVC is just the latest step in a long tradition of technology leadership at ABB," said Mike Barnoski, head of ABB's Power Systems division in the US. "We've installed more FACTS devices in North America than all of our competitors combined, and we've never missed an in-service date."
The Black Oak SVC is equipped with ABB's advanced MACH 2 control system that will be capable of controlling the operation of the SVC itself, as well as the switching of 500kV capacitor banks connected to the same substation.
SOURCE: ABB Measurement & Analytics