ABB’s wind power solutions help China address the shortage of conventional fossil fuels while improving environmental performance
Beijing, China, January 8, 2009 – ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, announced it will supply advanced 40.5kV ring main unit gas-insulated switchgears (GIS) to China’s first offshore wind farm, the Donghai Bridge Offshore Wind Farm Project in Shanghai. The company’s advanced products and technology will help China develop clean energy sources as part of the country’s long term sustainable energy plans.
Bernd Muehe, head of the Power Products division of ABB North Asia Region and ABB China, said, “ABB is the largest supplier of electrical components, systems and services for the wind power industry, boasting advanced technologies and global expertise. ABB has long endeavored to boost the fast development of China’s wind industry in order to address the increasing challenges posed by pollution, climate change, and declining resources.”
Because of its unique application environment, the offshore wind farm at Donghai requires that the electrical equipment be deployed with strong anti-pollution features and a compact design. ABB will provide 40.5 kV SF6 ring main unit GIS, locally designed to address the specific demands of offshore wind farms in China. This tailored equipment, half the size of the conventional design, features improved anti-pollution performance thanks to the SF6 insulating gas filled in the switchgear.
The first offshore wind project in China, the Donghai Bridge offshore wind farm comprises 34 units of 3 MW wind turbine generators, with a total installed capacity of 10,000 kW. After its completion in 2009, it will generate over 260GWh, enough to power roughly 200,000 households in Shanghai. Compared with a thermal generator of the same scale, a wind turbine generator with a capacity of 1000 kW reduces emissions by 2,000 tons of carbon dioxide, 10 tons of sulfur dioxide and 6 tons of nitrogen dioxide.
With 9.2% of the world’s wind energy reserves, China has become the world’s fastest growing wind-energy market, maintaining an average growth rate of 56% for the past 7 years. At the end of 2007, China’s installed capacity was 5.9 GW, ranking the third in the global wind power market. According to the Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Association (CREIA), that capacity is expected to reach 50 GW by 2015.
ABB has actively participated in a number of large-scale wind projects in China, as part of the nation’s efforts to develop and utilize clean energy. ABB has provided the Jiangsu Rudong wind farm with compact substations, the second phase of the Nantong Qidong wind project with prefabricated box-type substations.
Globally, ABB has contributed its advanced technology and expertise to many major wind projects. In 2007, it won contracts worth a total of $400 million to provide power equipment to the world’s largest offshore wind farm project in Germany. The wind farm, with an installed capacity of 400 MW, will be connected to Germany’s main power grid using ABB’s HVDC Light technology.
ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 120,000 people. ABB has a full range of business activities in China, including R&D, manufacturing, sales, and services, with 14,000 employees, 26 joint ventures and wholly owned companies, and an extensive sales and service network across 60 cities. To find out more about ABB in China, visit www.abb.com.cn.