ABB transformers improve power capacity in China

ABB transformer technology has helped deliver the 1628 km Ximeng-Taizhou ultrahigh-voltage direct-current (UHVDC) transmission link in China, which can transmit up to 10 GW of electricity.

Remote areas in Inner Mongolia generate wind, solar and thermal energy that can be integrated into eastern China’s grid to meet the growing demand for electricity. While these resources have been largely untapped due to the lack of transmission links to load centres that are thousands of kilometres away, the area now hosts what is claimed to be the most powerful UHVDC transmission link in the world.

Developed by the State Grid Corporation of China, the Ximeng-Taizhou UHVDC can transmit up to 10 GW of electricity and has set a new record in power capacity transmitted at 800 kV DC voltage level. ABB delivered 509 MVA converter transformers for the project, plus 800 kV/6250 A DC breakers and wall bushings.

The converter transformers from ABB are compact and have 25% higher capacity than previous designs at 800 kV DC, serving the needs of about 20 million people. This design allowed the large and heavy tanks, which weigh almost 350 tonnes, to be transferred to the grid site safely and more cost-efficiently from thousands of kilometres away by ship and rail.

China has major load centres in its eastern regions, while its energy resources are mainly in the west and northwest. The expansive geography and increased demand for electricity over the last decade have prompted the country to increase its UHV transmission capacity, enabling delivery of power from newer, more efficient thermal power generation plants near energy reserves and renewable energies in remote areas, while lowering pollution near cities.

“We are pleased to announce that the world’s largest converter transformers have been energised successfully,” said Laurent Favre, head of ABB’s transformers business, a part of the company’s Power Grids division. “This latest breakthrough of transmitting 25% more power compared with recent 800 kV UHVDC links underlines ABB’s Next Level strategy of delivering innovative solutions for the integration of renewables and efficient bulk power transmission to urban centres.”

The company has further contributed to energy security in China by supplying transformers, DC breakers and wall bushings with the same technology to the ±800 kV 10 GW UHVDC Shanghaimiao-Shandong and Jarud-Qingzhou projects, as well as 1100 kV live tank circuit breakers to the Jarud-Qingzhou project.