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Compact Substations for Quick Installation

SCRI (Stazioni Compatte a Rapida Installazione)

FALORNI Daris, IULIANI Vincenzo, REBOLINI Massimo, SEMBIANTE Falco

Terna SpA
CAMERONI Roberto, GATTI Pierernesto, GRANATA Carlo, PIAZZA Costante
ABB SpA
ITALY

SUMMARY
Terna has successfully developed, in less than a year, a mobile substation 145 170 kV
Compact Substation for Quick Installation called SCRI. This application responds
simultaneously to two challenges: the fast increasing number of renewable power plants
(wind & solar) in the last two years and the not so fast construction process of traditional
substations due to the necessary installation time and the authorization procedures to connect
the substations to the RTN (Italian National high voltage grid).
SCRI High Voltage section is composed of three line bays (single bus bar type) equipped with
cable plug-in terminations; it is assembled on a 40 ft-long standard trailer that can be freely
moved on road (no special permits for oversize load required). Also the Low Voltage section
(protection & control equipment, HV bay cabinet and station auxiliaries) is assembled in a
transportable container on the same standard trailer.
The SCRI distinguishes itself by the innovative solutions in order to obtain the smallest
possible dimension and a solid mechanical construction, essential prerequisites for the easy
transportability.
The innovative solution consists in the utilization of line bays MTS (Mixed Technology
Switchgear) modules, characterized by wide use of multifunctional equipment and High
Voltage dry-type terminations, in combination with SF6 insulated bus bar.
This allows to guarantee the same full functionality of conventional substations having a
compact and transportable application.
To make the transportability possible even on rough roads and in site areas the equipment is
properly fixed on trailer platform by means of steel support structure and shock absorbers.
In order to minimize the installation time, the High Voltage connections are realized by
means of XLPE cables and plug-in terminations. Likewise the Low Voltage connections
(among High Voltage components, Protection & Control and auxiliary) are made by poka-
yoke connectors.

vincenzo.iuliani@terna.it
Furthermore, the above mentioned features allow the fully assembling and testing of the entire
mobile substation (High Voltage, Low Voltage and Protection &Control components) in the
factory with elimination of the majority of the on-site activities during the first installation
and re-installation in other sites as well.
The two main AC power supplies are designed in order to be connected directly to the high
voltage network without any need of Medium Voltage and Low Voltage feeders arising from
local electric distributors. Those sources are two Service Station Voltage Transformers (TIP
Trasformatore Induttivo di Potenza) insulated by means of SF6 able to provide a power of
25 kVA each at 230 Vac.
The SCRI is also equipped with a back-up generator set of 25 kVA, which is a useful power
supply during the installation stage.
A space of 20x50 m with compacted and leveled ground (with earthing grid) nearby an
overhead line is enough for the installation of the SCRI.
The first SCRI has been codesigned by Terna and ABB Italy Unit Operativa Adda-HV and
manufactured by ABB Italy Unit Operativa Adda-HV in 4 months, using the PASS M0
Module.
It is in operation since 21st December 2010, one year earlier than the inlet of renewable
power, connecting in infeed-outfeed mode (entra-esci) a Solar power plant in Aprilia (Rome).
The easy installation together with the numerous requests for grid connections, led Terna to
acquire further units.
The SCRI for its features of transportability and quick installation plug and switch is also
suitable to reduce the outage of the Substations in case of refurbishment or of major faults.

KEYWORDS
RTN: Italian National Transmission High Voltage Grid; IPPs: Independent Power Producers;
MTS: Mixed Technology Switchgear; TIP: Service Station Voltage Transformer for auxiliary supply;
XLPE: Cross-Linked Polyethylene.

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1 Compact Substation for Quick Installations (SCRI)
The increasing number of requests of renewable energy connections in the recent years and
the need for quick installation have intensified both need and urgency to identify innovative
solutions suitable for connecting the new plants to the national transmission grid and to
compensate for the long bureaucratic time for local authorizations and permits.
To meet this need, Terna has developed, in less than one year, a movable 170 kV substation,
called SCRI (from the Italian Stazioni Compatte a Rapida Installazione) which means
Compact Substations for Quick Installation.
This innovative solution can be also used with a different scope during refurbishment and
revamping of existing substations or in case of major faults in a part of the transmission
system: the SCRI, requiring a limited and slim footprint, can be easily installed both inside
and in proximity of the existing substation, reducing the need for overhead lines outages in
both situations. A fast restoration of the service is extremely important, considering also the
new rules of the Italian power system market which foresees penalties in case of service
unavailability.
The first two SCRIs have been applied to the connection of a solar power plant and a wind
farm to the Italian National Grid (RTN) in infeed-outfeed mode (incoming / outgoing), one
year earlier than the inlet of their relevant renewable power. As in 2011 the requests for
connection confirmed the trend and the effectiveness of the solution was proved by first
installations, Terna acquired six further units.
Once the necessity to connect IPPs (Independent Power Producers) is concluded, the SCRI,
thanks to its features of transportability and plug and switch installation, will be used to
reduce the outage of the substations in case of refurbishment or of major faults.

2 SCRI description
The SCRI (figure 1) is mainly composed of three High Voltage modules (Single Bus Bar
type) which are fully remote controlled by the three Italian Dispatching Centers, like all the
standard RTN substations.
Keywords:
Sb SF6 Busbar
TV SF6 Inductive Voltage Transformer
89 T Earthing switch
89 A Busbar disconnector
52 CB Circuit breaker
89 T-L Line disconnector and earthing switch
CT Current Transfomer
T High Voltage Plug-in terminal
TIP Service Station Voltage Transformer
ZnO Surge Arrester

Figure 1: SCRI Single Line Diagram.

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The High Voltage section is composed of three Single Bus Bar modules with plug-in cable
terminals assembled on a pad permitting an easy transportation by means of a 40 ft standard
trailer.
The bus bar system is SF6 gas encapsulated like line modules. Each line bays uses devices
arising from MTS (Mixed Technology Switchgear), obtaining the smallest possible dimension
and a solid mechanical construction, essential prerequisites for easy and safe transportability.
SCRI active parts in the High Voltage section are segregated and hence not accessible. This
allows the access to the substation core even when it is in operation.
The SCRI High Voltage connections are made of XLPE cables and plug-in terminations dry
type. The nine one-phase cables are wound around three metallic reels and transported by a
standard container (see figures 2 and 3).

Figure 3: XLPE cables and plug-in terminations dry type. Figure 2: High Voltage plug-in connection.

The protection and control system and the AC/DC auxiliary panels are assembled inside a
container which is fastened on a pad like the High Voltage modules and transportable in the
same way (see figure 4).

Figure 4: Protection and Control Panels inside the container.

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 Figure 5: LV connections among HV
components, P&C and auxiliary.

The Low Voltage connections (among High

Voltage components, Protection & Control and
auxiliary) are made by poka-yoke connectors
(see figure 5).
The two main alternative power supplies for
auxiliary systems are designed in order to be
connected directly to the RTN high voltage
network with no need for Medium Voltage and
Figure 6: 25 kVA Service Station
Low Voltage feeders. These sources are two Voltage Transformers (TIP).
Service Station Voltage Transformers (TIP)
insulated by means of SF6, each one able to transform a power of 25 kVA directly from
150 kV to 230 V (see figure 6).
The SCRI is also equipped with one back-up generator set of 25 kVA which is a useful power
supply during the installation stage.

3 Peculiarities
The SCRI distinguishes itself for the complex of innovative solutions adopted which have
brought to a substation pre-assemblable and pre-testable in factory.
The layout of the three units (High Voltage trailer - Protection & Control trailer - the metallic
cable reels with accessories trailer) and their fixing system to the metallic pad allow Terna to
use standard trailers for transportation (Length 12 m, Width 2,45 m and total Height to ground
4m) easy to be retrieved and suitable in case of tortuous and spoiled roads. Therefore, there is
no need for special permits.
The reduced footprint of 20 m x 50 m compacted and leveled soil, complete with grounding
system and temporary fences, makes the SCRI a solution with very low environmental
impact. The site installation of the electrical components requires a really short time, less than
two weeks, as well as it is easily dismountable for the re-utilization in other sites.
The SCRI pad units are provided with four hydraulic supports suitable to lift up and down and
therefore unload them from the trailer with no need for an expensive crane.
To minimize the installation time, the High Voltage connections are made of XLPE cables
and plug-in terminations dry type. The cable, thanks to its nature and to the technology
chosen, ensures flexibility and versatility for the connection to the High Voltage transmission
lines.
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Consequently, it is definitely easier to locate the above mentioned apparatus inside the
substation area, making the overhead lines dead-end towers (where the conductors are bare)
independent from the positioning of the High Voltage trailer. This allows a higher possibility
of adaptation to different available unutilized spaces. Finally, XLPE insulation avoids the
necessity of clearance distances and further safety protections for the personnel.

4 Challenging situations
To demonstrate the usefulness of this technical solution, below are described three real cases
where the SCRI has been installed in critical and challenging situations as for connection
time, service availability during refurbishment activities and quick service recovery in case of
disaster.

4.1 Quick connection time.

A good example is the connection of a

Wind Farm in Sicily to Italian High
Voltage transmission network (RTN)
which has enabled an Independent Power
Producer to start the operation in advance
of the initial planning. It is plain that this
has facilitated the producers return on
investment. A further advantage has been
represented by the reduced environmental
impact of the civil works, such as limited
excavations and few concrete structures
(see figure 7).
Figure 7: SCRI applied in a wind farm (Sicily).

Even in an impervious and hardly achievable environmental context as the above mentioned
substation, the SCRI design has allowed to reach the site easily (see figure 8).

Figure 8: arriving at the SCRI substation.

The easiness of connection and the possibility to lay the apparatuses in limited space which
can be effortlessly developed in length, allow the positioning underneath and inside the right
of way of the existing overhead power lines.

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 4.2 Service availability during refurbishment.

A SCRI substation has been also installed as auxiliary connection during the refurbishment of
an existing 132kV station in Piedmont. SCRI installation on the outline of the existing
substation enables to temporarily connect the different incoming lines keeping them live
during the reconstruction of their bays (see figure 9).

Figure 9: single line diagram of Piedmont substation.

As XLPE pretested cabling systems do not have any clearance distance limitations, they allow
to identify the most economical and flexible layout in terms of footprint. Moreover, they do
not require any invasive modifications of the existing structures.

4.3 Disaster Recovery

The SCRI for its features of transportability and quick installation (plug and switch) can be
utilized to reduce the outage of the substations not only in case of refurbishment but also in
case of major faults due to catastrophic events. SCRI flexibility enables an easy installation
on the existing substation exploiting the internal roads to accommodate it with no need for
any considerable works.

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A example of SCRI installation to connect two lines to the bus bar in case of bays fault is
shown in figure 10.

Figure 10: top view of standard Ternas substation.

Moreover recent natural disasters, which are unpredictable, have made electrical authorities
more sensitive to provide themselves with more and more agile and adaptable substation
solutions.
With reference to the above mentioned technical demands, SCRI represents Ternas solution
which is certainly on the cutting edge, but only a stepping stone towards the possibility to
expand the present approach even to 220 and 380 kV voltage levels.

Bibliography
[1] C. Twomey - Substation design in a challenging regulatory environment - CIGRE SC B3 Berlin
2007
[2] M. Blundell, D. Roby, C. Piazza - Compact integrated bay modules for new 145 kV substations;
CIGRE SC A3 & B3 Colloquium, Paper 121, Tokyo, Japan 2005
[3] M. Cameroni, C. Granata and L. Calamari Assembly of high voltage devices; CIGRE SC A3
& B3 Colloquium, Paper 116, Tokyo, Japan 2005
[4] M. Bues, E. Mikes - Compact optimised GIS, Modular Hybrid Substation bays, Mobile GIS
substations; CIGRE SC A3 & B3 Colloquium, Paper 120, Tokyo, Japan 2005