ABB has announced the launch of its latest compact secondary substation, designated UniPack-G. The launch is in line with a policy that aims at continuing to strengthen the company’s medium-voltage portfolio with products intended specifically to facilitate a stronger and more intelligent power network
The new range extends ABB’s current UniPack Compact Secondary Substation (CSS) family. The enclosure is made from a glass fibre reinforced polyester (GRP) material that is said to have the strength and durability of concrete but is as light as steel and highly weather- resistant. Its weight and robustness advantage will make it also easier to transport and position in remote locations and extreme environments. It will be offered in power and voltage ratings of up to 3500 kVA and 40.5 kV.
The product has a modular design and incorporates smart grid functionalities. It has received internal arc classification for both operators and the public, ensuring the highest level of safety and has been type tested to comply with IEC 62271-202 standards. It is designed for high resistance to corrosion, cold, heat and fire with special provisions for natural ventilation and efficient cooling.
New retrofit programme for relays
ABB has also introduced a new Relay Retrofit Programme to simplify and speed up the replacement of selected SPACOM protection relays with modern protection and control relays from the Relion 615 product series.
There is a global installed base of over 700 000 SPACOM relays. Retrofitting each of these traditionally would take almost a month and require considerable knowledge and engineering effort. With this new programme, says ABB, it has simplified the process substantially, and reduced the amount of time needed to only an hour, helping users to efficiently schedule and execute the various phases of their retrofit projects.
"The introduction of these new offerings … follows the launch last year of the UniGear Digital and SafeRing Air switchgear" said Bruno Melles, head of ABB’s Medium Voltage Products business.
