FEATURE ENERGY EFFICIENCY


$40 MILLION ORDER FOR ECO STATION A


BB has won an order of around $40 million from German transmission


grid operator TransnetBW to upgrade a high-voltage substation in Obermooweiler, in the German state of Baden-Wuerttemberg. As an integral part of the upgrade, ABB will install the world’s first 380-kilovolt (kV) gas- insulated switchgear (GIS) which uses an environmentally friendly alternative gas mixture to the industry standard SF6. Substations enable the efficient and


reliable transmission and distribution of electricity. Within the substation, switchgear controls and protects the network from power outages and facilitates reliable electricity supply. Due to its unique physical properties,


SF₆ gas has been used extensively in the electrical industry for decades. It is however, a greenhouse gas and ABB has been working on alternative solutions. In 2015, ABB successfully commissioned a substation using the AirPlus switchgear technology for a 170-kV GIS substation in Zurich, based on the alternative gas mixture.


The new 380-kV Obermooweiler GIS


Electrical substation upgrade with innovative gas-insulated switchgear helps TransnetBW to reduce environmental impact


substation, is a further milestone, positioning ABB at the forefront of eco- efficient innovations. It supports Germany’s targeted reduction of 40 per cent in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 and up to 95 per cent by 2050. “With more than 30 years of


technology partnership between ABB and TransnetBW, we are embarking on yet another innovation milestone,” says Claudio Facchin, president of ABB’s Power Grids division. “ABB’s eco-efficient GIS solution will lower environmental impact while strengthening the transmission grid”. “With this project, we are pleased to


pave the way for a technical innovation that can make an important contribution to climate protection”, says Dr Werner Götz, managing director of TransnetBW. In 2018, ABB is celebrating the 50th


anniversary of GIS, a technology it pioneered. The compact design of a GIS allows a space saving of up to 70 percent compared to an air-insulated switchgear (AIS) substation.


Manchester Uni represents North


West in European green project T


he Fuel Cells & Hydrogen and Joint Undertaking, a €1.4billion


programme to support research and innovation in green energy across Europe, has published a major international report, with Manchester Metropolitan University representing the entire North West region of England. The University officially opened the


Manchester Fuel Cell Innovation Centre (MFCIC) in September 2018, a £4.1m facility in the heart of the city centre, dedicated to developing new sources of sustainable, emission free energy and making it available to small businesses in the region. The report, titled ‘Fuel Cells and


Hydrogen for Green Energy in European Cities and Regions’, finds that fuel cell and hydrogen technology could create 30 million jobs across Europe, and enhance the continent’s economy by $2,000 billion in annual sales. As well as job growth and the


improvement of industry, the report finds that hydrogen and fuel cell technology can benefit cities and regions by boosting tourism, creating positive health impacts, encouraging research and innovation, and attracting new


22 NOVEMBER 2018 | ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING


businesses and a skilled workforce. The Greater Manchester Whole System


Smart Energy Plan, which is currently in development, will indicate that hydrogen and fuel cells have a role to play in the future whole energy system approach for Manchester. Manchester Met will lead a hydrogen


‘workstream’ as part of the Greater Manchester Smart Energy Plan, which will feature within the Local Industrial Strategy and support the delivery of the proposed Smart Energy Plan. The MFCIC, working with MetroPolis,


Greater Manchester Combined Authority and a number of members of industry stakeholders, will look to accelerate policy development for hydrogen and fuel cells, and drive forward the impact of academic research on regional, national and international levels. MetroPolis is a research-led think tank


based at Manchester Met, which promotes evidence-informed policy based on the University's research. Amer Gaffar, director of the


Manchester Fuel Cell Innovation Centre, says: “We are proud to represent the North West in this significant project that spans Europe, demonstrating that the


Manchester Fuel Cell Innovation Centre is at the cutting edge of research and innovation in hydrogen and fuel cell energy. There are huge economic, social and environmental benefits to be gained from the deployment of this emission- free energy, and we aim to open up these benefits to as many people as possible, across Greater Manchester, the UK and the rest of the world. “We’ll do this through working with


business and industry on how to harness sustainable hydrogen power, going into schools to teach kids about green energy, and through shaping regional policy.”


/ ELECTRICALENGINEERING


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