ABB Selected to Upgrade Quebec Grid to Boost Renewables Integration in Canada

Canada: Global technology company in power and automation, ABB, won an order to upgrade 800kV air-insulated switchgear substations and transmission grid of Canadian Utility Hydro-Quebec with new circuit breakers, power transformers and shunt reactors. The order is worth USD85 million. Under the project, the company has to design, deliver and commission new circuit breakers with polymeric insulators. The company is also obliged to design, manufacture and deliver 450MVA autotransformers and 735 kV shunt reactors. 

TechSci Research depicts that these technologies would help in renewable integration, deliver additional power and improve the electricity transfer over long distances. With growth in the global population and rise in the power demand, new infrastructure for power generation, transmission, and distribution is developed, to fulfil the growing power demand. Adoption of renewable sources of energy for power generation is in rise and their overall share in the global energy mix will increase the share of smart transformers as they provide multiple outputs and work on wide frequency range.

According to a released report of TechSci Research “Global Power and Distribution Transformers Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2020”, power and distribution transformers market globally is projected to register a CAGR of 5.7% during 2015-20. The market for power transformers had the largest market share by value in 2014 and is forecasted to have around 60% of the total market share in power and distribution transformers market in 2020. The market is expected to witness tremendous growth on account of rising government projects, for power generation through various conventional sources of energy like coal, oil and gas, integration of renewable energy to the existing grid, and replacement of aging power infrastructure.