Transmission and

distribution substations
Better energy efficiency
in the power grid

Growing electricity transmission.

Cross-border energy trading and the incorporation power from
remote renewable power sources pose a serious challenge to existing
transmission networks.

Our main customers are Utilities, Industries, EPCs and the rail sector.

With the demand for electricity rising year on year and concern for
the environment bringing more renewable energy sources online, trans-
mission operators are under increasing pressure to enhance the flexibility
of their grids and to improve capacity and accommodate the demands
of deregulated power markets.
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ABB has the technologies
to provide a secure transmission
and distribution system.
We create value for our customers, employees and shareholders
through the development, engineering and execution of our projects.
We provide economically attractive and environmentally sound projects
and services for the efficient and safe use of new and existing
transmission and distribution substations.

ABB offers sustainable solutions to the challenges of today and tomorrow.

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Reliable transmission and
distribution substations

Substations are the key element in transmission and distribution networks.

ABB has the specialized knowledge and global experience needed to build
and upgrade substations, wherever they are needed. Our customers benefit
from the most economic application or modern technologies, fulfilling their
requirements on project execution and system quality.

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Since 1900, ABB has delivered
5500 substations at ratings up to 800 kV.
ABB’s transmis- Tailor-made technical solutions

sion and distribu- n Major high-and medium-voltage products such as switchgear, power transformers,
instrument transformers, distribution transformers and more
tion substations n Electrical monitoring, control and protection systems, including SCADA systems
offering (≤ 800 kV) n Low voltage and AC/DC equipment, batteries
Power and control cables
include: n

Substation integration
n Engineering and project management
n Civil engineering, installation and commissioning
n After-sales support

Consulting
n Systems analysis and network studies
n Training and Documentation

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 Tailor-made technical
solutions—modular substation
concepts to meet individual needs
Our substation layout is
based on a customer
oriented modular con-
cept, using integrated
functional modules. The
pre-engineered and tech-
nically optimized modules
can be easily adapted to
all individual requirements
and are equipped with
the most suitable com-
ponents for a particu-
lar function in respect of Delivery of turnkey AIS and GIS
design, technical char-
acteristics and reliability.
substations for utility, industrial and
The pre-engineered mod- railway applications.
ules guarantee an opti-
mized substation layout,
a smooth project execu-
tion and minimal risk for
customers during project
realization and service.

Air-insulated substations extreme temperatures. Its reduced footprint means that

Air-insulated switchgear (AIS) is the most commonly
used type of equipment for substations. It offers flexibil-
ity in terms of equipment configuration, as well as com-
paratively low installation costs. Substations using AIS
can be found in transmission networks of all sizes, all
over the world. ABB has been building and supplying
AIS equipment for nearly 100 years.
Gas insulated substations
Gas insulated switchgear (GIS) incorporates all of the
same functional elements as air insulated switchgear,
but condenses them inside a sealed housing that
occupies one tenth of the space. GIS is ideal for use
in harsh environments, such as corrosive, salty air or
6 outages.
GIS can be located in dense urban areas where space
is limited and aesthetic issues are important. ABB
pioneered the development of gas-insulated substa-
tions, delivering the world’s first GIS substation in 1967.
Since then, the company has delivered more than
10,000 high-voltage, gas-insulated switchgear bays.
Mobile substations
Substation design has evolved to minimize the space
substations occupy and increase flexibility. Progress has
been such that it is now possible to build mobile sub-
stations on vehicles that can be moved from one loca-
tion to another. Such mobile substations are used by
utilities as a temporary solution during planned mainte-
nance or restructuring of existing facilities or unplanned
Upgrading, optimization and
retrofit of existing substations.
Compact secondary substations
Compact secondary substations perform all the func-
tions of conventional secondary substations but, as
their name implies, their components are confined
within a very small space. These substations are typi-
cally used at the lower end of the medium-voltage
range (up to 24kV) in urban areas, where their housing
can be adapted to the local environment (to resemble
the surrounding building style, for example).
Distribution substations
Power systems must adapt to the needs of the com-
munities they serve. As communities grow and de-
mand for power rises, it becomes necessary to trans-
mit power to the more distant parts of the communities
at higher voltages. In such systems, distribution substa-
Delivery of engineered packages
as an integral part of a substation.
tions are used to step down the voltage and divide the
flow of electricity between the multiple outgoing lines of
the local distribution network..
Substation automation and protection
ABB’s world-class protection and control solutions
ensure reliable power transmission and distribution
through the smooth operation of its substations. ABB’s
IEC 61850-enabled product portfolio provides open,
future-proof and flexible system architectures with
state-of-the-art performance. This, combined with long
experience in the field and the full scope of the compa-
ny’s service and support network, makes ABB a leader
in substation automation and protection.
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 Optimized substation integration­—
complete project management

PROJECT MANGEMENT

MAIN-
SALES INSTALLATION and FINAL TENANCE
PROCUREMENT
ENGINEERING COMMISSIONING ACCEPT-
ANCE
PROJECT EXECUTION

Industries and utilities

are under extreme pres-
sure to meet consumer
and regulatory demand
for high quality prod-
ucts and services, com-
petitive prices and low
environmental impact.
Therefore, substation
construction requires an
overall responsible part-
ner for the system, the
products and integra-
tion to the grid. ABB has the expertise and experience to meet these challenges.

ABB’s turnkey substation deliveries provide multiple advantages:

n Competent partner for full electrical system analysis, advice and studies
n Projects guaranteed to comply with all relevant regulations and legislative requirements
n Optimized economical and technical applications using ABB’s broad competence and extensive portfolio.
n Applications in line with customer specifications
n Advanced integrated control- and protection systems
n Integration of substations into the customer’s network
n Low-risk design and execution
n Close customer cooperation
n GIS Customer values:
➔ Smaller space requirements – especially useful in congested city areas
➔ Reduced sensitivity to harsh environments caused by extremes of temperature, air pollution, salt,
sand and even large amounts of snow
➔ Lower operation and maintenance costs
➔ Reliable, flexible, space-saving GIS products with advanced technology
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Installation and Commissioning
As a world leader in the supply of high-voltage substations ABB can offer a complete
range of services. Beginning at the earliest planning stage, through design, installation, commissioning
and of course decommissioning at the end of a plant’s service life.

Your needs—our response:

Building tomorrow’s grid today.
➔ Our strong Project Managers guarantee top performance in all development phases of a project,
from engineering to commissioning: ABB reliably delivers optimized and economic turnkey
substations on-time.
➔ Constant drive for operational excellence resulting in predictable top performance
➔ Strong focus on health and safety to the benefit of all parties involved in our projects
➔ Mandatory training and certification of all Project and Site Managers according to the inter-
national standard of the Project Management Institute in Pennsylvania, US.
ABB’s presence in more than 100 countries makes sure you benefit from a strong local partner,
who understands your needs, and who has full access to ABB’s wealth of global experience and
technology resources: You can rely on ABB to deliver state-of-the-art, proven solutions tailored
exactly to your needs.

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Available services—
equipment completely compliant
with local standards
Focused engineering: substation modularization

System analysis and network studies.

Substations are integral components of power supply networks. It is therefore absolutely essential
that the design criteria applied to the design of a substation be correlated with the corresponding
network parameters.
For network analysis and planning, ABB uses Requirement analysis
state-of-the-art computer programs which n Involvement from pre-acquisition to Delivery
allow all aspects of system operation to be n From concepts to details
examined in detail. Many years of cooperation n Turnkey and engineered packages
in the design of public and industrial power n Lead engineers
networks has provided the company with a ➔ Primary and auxiliary system design
wealth of experience in this field. This analytical ➔ Cost, quality and time responsibility
approach provides the basis for sound, ➔ Coordination with equipment suppliers
economically engineered solutions and a and civil works
secure, reliable power supply with minimal n Civil engineers
environmental impact. ➔ Base design
➔ Cost, quality and time responsibility
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n Focused engineering:
substation modularization
 Calculations

n Insulation coordination studies n Battery and charger calculations

➔ Calculation of over-voltages considering geometry ➔ Sizes calculated considering load cycles and
of substation, incoming lines and location of surge standby time
arresters n Steel structure calculations
n Ground grid calculations ➔ Forces on steel structure depending on conductor
➔ Calculation of touch- and step-voltages considering type, -sag, -length, short circuit forces, wind,
short circuit currents, soil resistivity, mesh seismic factors, etc
configuration, earth rods and conduction size n Lightning protection studies
n High-voltage conductor sizing calculations ➔ Calculation defining protection methods to minimize
➔ Corona ➔ Forces direct lightning strikes
➔ Current carrying capability for rated and short n Thermal-load calculations for building design
circuit currents ➔ Calculation of equipment losses as input for
n Low-voltage cable sizing calculations building high-voltage AC systems
➔ Voltage drop calculation
➔ Current carrying capability for rated and short circuit
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currents low-voltage conductor sizing calculations
Transmission and distribution substations.

© Copyright 2008 ABB. All rights reserved.

1KHA - 001 104 - SEN -1500 - 05.08

ABB Ltd
Power Systems
Bruggertrasse 72
CH-5400 Baden/Switzerland
Phone +41- 58 588 38 12
Fax +41- 58 588 23 35
www.abb.com/substations