Electrical engineering setting Irish and British power grids alight
Connections are being made in the world of electrical and electronic engineering after ABB has been awarded a $550 million (£382.3 million) order to connect the UK and Irish power grids.
The move should ignite Ireland’s attempt to expand its wind power capacity and will strengthen the security and reliability of electricity suppliers, the company claims.
If you are interested in the technical side of this electrical engineering development then you may be encouraged to hear that the transmission link will run underwater for 186 km and underground for 70 km.
And in what you may consider to be a bright spark idea, ABB will use its high-voltage direct current (HVDC) Light technology, which not only restores power after a power cut without the need for external energy sources, but also delivers environmental benefits.
So ABB asserts, claiming that the cables will be oil-free, there will be low electrical losses and compact converter stations.
Head of ABB’s Power Systems division Peter Leupp states: "ABB’s HVDC Light technology will enhance the stability of both the Irish and UK transmission grids and also expand capacity for the use of renewable power."
The engineering company recently announced another of its design development feats. It revealed it has commissioned a switchgear which can handle more than one million volts, with a switching capability of 6,900 megawatts.
Bernhard Jucker, head of ABB’s Power Products division, called the development a breakthrough which had set the benchmark for "ultrahigh-voltage projects".
Written by Robert Williams.
Filed under: Electrical and Electronic Engineering
