ABB Achieves Another Milestone In Smart Substation Automation
First fully compliant commercial installation of IEC 61850-9-2 process bus technology
Zurich, Switzerland - ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has completed its first commercial substation automation system using IEC 61850-9-2 process bus technology. The new standard-compliant system, installed for the Australian utility, Powerlink, provides advanced automation functions to enhance availability and reliability at Loganlea, a key substation serving south-east Queensland, a-fast growing region of Australia.
IEC 61850-9-2 process bus, based on the international substation automation standard IEC 61850, enables current and voltage measurements to be transmitted to protection and control devices via a fiber-optic communication network, resulting in reduced copper cabling and increased safety.
The process bus also supports the standardized integration of non-conventional instrument transformers (NCITs), bringing performance improvements and further reductions in cost and space requirements. NCITs also improve safety because they eliminate the risk of voltage hazards, which can arise in conventional transformer circuits.
The refurbishment project at Loganlea Substation has seen the replacement of the ABB proprietary communication to the existing NCITs with a smart substation automation protection and control system, featuring the world’s first conformance-tested IEC 61850-9-2 merging units and ABB’s protection and control IEDs (intelligent electronic devices). These deliveries bring Loganlea Substation into full compliance with the most advanced global standard for substation automation, maximizing availability and grid reliability.
“With demand for electricity growing fast, Queensland needs to further build on long-term, cost-effective solutions for its power system,” said Jens Birgersson, Head of ABB’s Network Management business unit. “By upgrading the substation with advanced automation and the latest communications standards, we will help Powerlink to fulfill its strategy well into the future.”
Completion of the Loganlea project demonstrates ABB’s expertise and best-in-class technologies for world-leading advances in substation automation.
SOURCE: ABB