Bergen-area substation will herald new era of digitalization in Norway
The City of Bergen in Western Norway is surrounded by seven mountains and is the gateway to the majestic fjords of Western Norway. The fjords are unique and were shaped for millions of years when glaciers created deep valleys between high mountains. Along the fjords sit picturesque centuries-old villages and farms.
Amidst the landscape of this UNESCO World Heritage City, ABB will deliver a 132 kilovolt (kV) ABB Ability™ digital substation to BKK Nett, one of the largest utilities in Norway. The substation will be built in Arna, outside Bergen.
BKK Nett’s sub-transmission and distribution power grid network covers more than 16,500 kilometers, including Bergen and the surrounding residential and commercial areas. The utility is considered a leader in adopting future technology that supports the development of renewable energy and efficient infrastructure. It was therefore a natural next step for the utility to look into digital substations that provide many safety, space-saving and efficiency advantages over analog solutions.
This groundbreaking project will allow ABB to work together with BKK Nett to develop new methods for the operation and testing of digital substations, and the collaboration will create expertise in Norway on digitalization of such plants. The project is also supported by the Research Council of Norway.
“This will be the first digital substation in Norway and it will transmit electricity to a new railway transformer station in the area, which will power the new double track railroad between Bergen and Arna in a tunnel through Mount Ulriken,” said Massimo Danieli, head of ABB’s Grid Automation business within the company’s Power Grids division. ”Furthermore, this digital substation is based on our ABB Ability offering that will allow for the new railroad to increase capacity and continue to develop a stronger, smarter and greener grid.”
In addition to the Langedalen digital substation, the neighboring substations will also integrate ABB AbilityTM-enabled technology into infrastructure that includes communication networks as well as remote terminal units (RTUs). The RTUs will transmit important data about the condition of the assets in the field to the digital substation and the operator in the control room who will monitor the power network with the ABB Ability Network Manager SCADA/DMS (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition/Distribution Management System).
This data can then be sent to ABB Ability Ellipse APM (Asset Performance Management) software that will enable predictive and preventive maintenance. To secure outdoor electronic modules from rough weather conditions in the Nordics, marshalling cabinets with insulated double walls will be installed.
A digital substation is more compact, reliable, safe, and over the substation life cycle, it is more cost effective and simpler to maintain than a conventional one. Fiber optic cables replace traditional copper connections, and enable digital communication, while reducing installation time and cost, and environmental impact.
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