ABB has won an important order to upgrade the steam turbine control systems for units 1 and 2 at Dungeness ‘B’ nuclear power station in Kent, UK. Under the contract, ABB will upgrade the governors for the main turbine and the main boiler feeder pump turbine, as well as upgrades to the control interface and event logger.
Owned and operated by EDF Energy, Dungeness ‘B’ started generation in 1983 and supplies 1040 MW to the National Grid. The upgrade to the control system is part of EDF Energy’s ongoing programme of upgrades to improve performance and replace major components with more efficient modern designs.
ABB’s engineering team will work closely with EDF Energy staff to design the new equipment and interface it with the station’s existing ABB Procontrol P13 distributed control system. This technology is in use at more than 550 installations worldwide over 30 years.
During the upgrade, ABB will supply, install, test and commission hardware upgrades including its own PROGRESS 3 and Power Generation Information Manager (PGIM). These are tools designed to provide information about the operation of the power station on a graphical interface and enable power station operators to control the power station’s equipment.
Upon installation, ABB will deliver on-site training to EDF Energy’s operations and maintenance staff to ensure a smooth transition to the new system.