ABB is providing a fully integrated instrumentation, control and electrical solution for a hydropower plant upgrade in Canada.
ABB will complete a retrofi t on one of six turbines at the 129 MW Jenpeg hydropower plant on the Nelson River in Manitoba province, Canada. Owned and operated by Manitoba Hydro, Jenpeg also regulates the outfl ow waters of Lake Winnipeg for power production at the company`s Nelson River generating stations.
ABB is supplying a customized and fully integrated instrumentation, control and electrical (ICE) solution for Unit 1 of the Jenpeg generating station, which is expected to be back in full operation by September 2015. ABB will also support Jenpeg with a portfolio of life cycle services, including spare parts and equipment repair, training, remote monitoring and technical support.
“We are pleased to be working again with Manitoba Hydro and to be able to provide ABB innovations for this challenging project,” said Massimo Danieli, head of ABB`s Power Generation business, part of the Power Systems division. “ABB is a single-source provider, and brings a collaborative approach and tailored solutions to our power generation customers.”
Customer collaboration
Manitoba Hydro needed a solution to replace old equipment and modernize its system. ABB and Manitoba Hydro worked closely on the design and customization of the project to ensure a similar footprint and optimized performance of the restored unit. The ABB solution will help Manitoba Hydro reduce exposure to technical and commercial risk, eliminate multivendor interfaces and improve resource leveling.
ABB`s scope of supply includes a full excitation system, relay-based control and synchronization, a protection system, a customized medium-voltage generator terminal cubicle and ABB HVR generator circuit breaker, ABB governor controller and manifold, and power control cables.
ABB was selected for the retrofit because of the depth of its automation and control solutions for the hydropower industry. ABB`s ability to supply a customized generator terminal cubicle with a small footprint generator circuit breaker are key parts of the solution.
In addition, existing equipment will be assessed and reused wherever possible. ABB is also responsible for engineering (including system studies and unit design), electrical installation and commissioning.
Completed in 1979, Jenpeg is the first generating station in North America to use bulb-type turbine generators (called units) – a European design developed to harness a low operating head, which is the waterfall created by the generating station's structure. The bulb-type unit is positioned horizontally and is set directly in the stream of water flowing through the intake gates. The design does not require as deep a pit in the ground as conventional vertical units, which eliminates the need to excavate deeply into the bedrock under the river.