Midlands’ power grid upgrade

Areva’s Transmission and Distribution division has won a Euro20m contract with National Grid Transco (NGT), the UK’s largest transmission network owner and operator, to upgrade the electricity grid in central England.

The project will improve voltage stability and respond to increasing power demand in the West Midlands industrial region.

The first stage is to install two 400kV Mechanically Switched Capacitor Bank Damping Networks (MSCDN) in two locations to ensure voltage stability across the region. This is needed as a result of a changing generation market. The equipment boosts reactive power on the grid, thus stabilising the voltage. Areva T&D will design, install and commission MSCDNs at NGT’s Hams Hall and Drakelow substations.

The second stage is to extend NGT’s Feckenham 400/66kV main feeder substation to allow the local distribution network operator to satisfy the area’s rising consumer and industrial demand for energy.

For both solutions, Areva T&D will also provide the design, delivery and installation of all the digital protection and control systems required and undertake the civil construction works. The substation extension will be operational in March 2006 and the MSCDNs in October 2005.