Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL) and ABB have signed a memorandum of understanding on the development and testing in India of a power transformer with the world’s highest AC voltage level.
The two companies will design and manufacture a 1200 kV single phase ultrahigh voltage alternating current (AC) power transformer and test it at a new test facility that is currently under construction at Bina in the state of Madhya Pradesh.
The project will push the frontiers of AC transformer technology development, and is a key part of India’s plans to build a 1200 kV transmission system, says ABB.
“ABB is already making a significant contribution to India’s ultrahigh voltage transmission network development, having supplied several 765 kV transformers,” said Markus Heimbach, head of ABB’s Transformers business, a part of the company’s Power Products division. “We are pleased to push the frontiers of technology further and continue to partner PGCIL, a long-standing customer, in the development of the country’s power infrastructure.”
India’s growing need for generation capacity is driving the development of large-scale transmission infrastructure. The planned 1200 kV transmission network will supplement the country’s existing 400 kV and 800 kV networks, and will help to improve connections between regional networks.
PGCIL is building a national test centre at Bina in order to carry out field tests and evaluate various transmission and distribution equipment, including ABB’s transformer, before deploying the technology for commercial purposes.
