ABB and Hitachi Form HVDC Partnership for Japan’s Power Grid

With Hitachi as the prime contractor, the joint venture will take ABB’s direct current technology into Japan’s evolving HVDC market.

By Aaron Hand, Executive Editor, Automation World

Swiss power and automation giant ABB has teamed up with Hitachi to gain a foothold in Japan’s high-voltage direct current (HVDC) market. The two companies have agreed to form a Tokyo-based joint venture that will be supply DC systems and services in Japan, with Hitachi as the prime contractor.

In the first step of a strategic partnership aimed at Japan's evolving power network, Hitachi will have an equity interest of 51 percent, and ABB will have the remaining 49 percent. The two companies will continue to explore the relationship further, looking to widen the scope for future collaboration.
“Since the first development in the 1970s,

Hitachi has participated in every HVDC project in Japan and has continued to underpin the stabilization of the electricity grid,” said Hiroaki Nakanishi, Hitachi’s chairman and CEO. “I am confident that the establishment of a new company combining the strengths of Hitachi and ABB will provide a framework for the timely provision of the new technologies required by the Japanese HVDC market. By enhancing and expanding the HVDC business through its partnership with ABB, which has a strong performance record in the global market, Hitachi will continue to contribute to the stabilization of Japan's electric power grid.”

Ulrich Spiesshofer, CEO of ABB, pointed to ABB’s pioneering role in HVDC 60 years ago. “Our presence across half the world’s installed base and our capability to develop and manufacture all major components of the HVDC value chain in-house have put us in a leading position in the industry,” he said. “We are proud to enter into this partnership with Hitachi, with a solid reputation and extensive, 100-year experience in the Japanese market. Together we can build on our complementary strengths to play our part in the evolution of Japan’s power infrastructure."

The global HVDC market has been dominated by line commutated converter (LCC) technology since the 1970s. But more recent focus on HVDC to connect renewable energy sources has seen an increase in voltage source converter (VSC) systems, which advanced as a new technology around 2000, and facilitate grid stabilization.

VSC-HVDC technology is suited to long-distance underground and underwater power links and interconnections, and is increasingly being deployed across a range of applications. These include the integration of renewable energies from land-based and offshore wind farms, the mainland power supply to islands and offshore oil and gas platforms, city center in-feeds where space is a major constraint, and cross-border interconnections that often require subsea links. Its ability to comply with grid codes ensures robust network connections regardless of application.

In Japan, nine HVDC projects were carried out up to 2006, all of them using the LCC technology. Now, with the increasing introduction of renewable energy and innovation in electric power systems, demand for VSC-HVDC systems is expected to increase for applications such as wide-area power transmission grids and connection of offshore wind farms.

The new joint venture will combine Hitachi's sales network, project management expertise, quality assurance processes and delivery performance record with ABB’s state-of-the-art HVDC technologies, and contribute to innovation in electric power systems in Japan.


Source:-http://www.automationworld.com/power-supplies/abb-and-hitachi-form-hvdc-partnership-japans-power-grid

ABB India eyes to tap solar industry with remote monitoring technology

With prospects of solar industry looking bright as the government aims to give a boost to renewable energy resources, ABB Ltd, the provider of power and automation technologies, is reportedly working on technology for remote monitoring of solar power plants in order to optimise output of electricity. The company is learnt to be in talks with various players in the solar power sector, especially in Gujarat (one of the leading states using solar energy to power growth), and trying to understand their requirements. ABB’s solar division makes inverters, switch gears and provides operation and maintenance solutions for solar power units.

The engineering major also wants to cash in on its recently launched solar pump drives which have been re-engineered for India to meet requirements of uninterrupted and reliable power supply for the rural market and agricultural sector. With the union government allocating Rs 400 crore for such solar pumps in the budget, the company sees a scope of 25 per cent rise in sales in 2014-15. With over 300 sunny days a year, the solar pump drives could help farmers maximise the benefits of solar power, while reducing dependency on the conventional grid power.

“We are a company with a long term perspective in renewable energy sector especially solar and wind power. We want to grow in this sector by building on our key competencies power and automation technologies,” said A H Kawdikar, Vice President, Country Head (Solar).

“In solar sector, we have taken number of initiatives one of them is how to make the inverter more grid interactive. The other one is how to remotely monitor the solar power plants. As these plants are remotely located, an expert cannot remain present at the site everyday. So we are talking to existing solar power plant operators in Gujarat and having discussion on their requirements for remote monitoring of the plant,” Kawdikar said. This, he said, was to optimise the output of power from the unit.

The company’s solar division is also planning to focus on emerging roof-top solar power generation market as it sees big potential in it in the coming years. After the success of the project in Gandhinagarw, many states are encouraging such initiatives, Kawdikar said.

“We have supplied solar inverters to Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and also Delhi for generation of roof-top solar power. The reasons for the good response is the policy support by the centre as well as the state. Also, with people seeing opportunity to cut down on their grip power usage the roof-top solar power generation is a good option,” he added.

Source:-http://www.business-standard.com/content/b2b-manufacturing-industry/abb-solar-remote-monitoring-automation-inverters-switch-gears-solar-pump-114080800439_1.html