ABB has been awarded a major turnkey contract by SP Energy Networks to supply three high voltage transformers that will provide a new grid connection for the extension of Whitelee Windfarm in Scotland. The 275 kV transformers will be supplied by ABB's focused factory in Lodz, Poland.
Whitelee Windfarm is Europe's largest onshore windfarm and is located on Eaglesham Moor, around 20 miles south of Glasgow. The windfarm currently has 140 turbines which can generate 322 MW of electricity, enough to power 180,000 homes. ScottishPower Renewables, the British subsidiary of Iberdrola Renewables, is now constructing two extensions that will add an additional 75 turbines, increasing the installed capacity to 593 MW.
ScottishPower Renewables has signed an agreement to connect the additional 270 MW produced by the Whitelee extensions to the SP Energy Networks transmission system. This calls for SP Energy Networks to construct a new grid connection substation at Whitelee, where the ABB 275/33 kV 120 MVA transformers will be installed.
"A key factor that enabled ABB to win this contract is that our Lodz factory could meet a relatively tight project timescale, as SP Energy Networks needs all three transformers delivered to site between June and August 2011," says Duncan Crossland, ABB's regional manager for Transformers in Northern Europe. "Furthermore, the low losses in the transformers will contribute to ScottishPower Renewables' aim to reduce the overall carbon footprint across the two Whitelee extension projects."
In addition to the three grid transformers, ABB is also supplying associated 33 kV earthing transformers. In a separate major contract ABB is providing SP Energy Networks with various high voltage equipment for the new substation, including circuit breakers, surge arrestors, current transformers (CTs) and capacitive voltage transformers (CVTs).
For help with any technical terms in this release, please go to: www.abb.com/glossary
