ABB has won an order to provide substations and related power infrastructure for the Rampion Offshore Wind Farm.
The company will provide power infrastructure for the offshore platform as well as the onshore substation to efficiently integrate the new wind farm into the country’s transmission grid. ABB will also extend an existing substation that will receive the wind power.
The wind farm is scheduled for completion in 2018.
The 400MW wind farm is being built by energy company E.ON, in partnership with the UK Green Investment Bank plc (GIB), off the Sussex coast between Worthing and Brighton and will include 116 turbines, with the nearest located 13 kilometers from shore.
As part of the order scope, ABB will be responsible for the turnkey delivery of the onshore substation, including high-voltage air-insulated switchgear (AIS), gas-insulated switchgear (GIS), transformers and substation automation as well as control and protection systems.
The onshore substation will also be equipped with four STATCOM (static compensator) units to ensure grid stability. These will provide reactive power compensation by detecting and instantly compensating for voltage fluctuations associated with the intermittent nature of wind energy.
ABB will also supply medium-voltage switchgear, power transformers and protection and control systems for the offshore platform as well as two new switchgear bays with control and protection equipment for the National Grid’s nearby substation at Bolney, receiving power from the new wind farm. The solution ensures that stringent grid code standards are met.
Image: ABB