Hitachi Energy has won a contract to deliver an advanced substation automation, protection and control system for the Edgard de Souza substation in Brazil. The retrofit project, which will improve the reliability of power supplies to the northern sector of São Paulo, will be completed in time for the Brazilian Soccer World Cup in 2014.
Owned by Cia de Transmissao de Energia Eletrica Paulista (CTEEP), and equipped with Hitachi Energy circuit breakers in 2005, the Edgard de Souza substation plays an important role in delivering power supplies to a significant portion of Brazil’s largest city, São Paulo.
The new substation automation system will integrate protection, control and metering devices, enabling operators to control equipment, either from within the substation, or from a remote location. Compliance with IEC61850, the global standard for substation automation, will ensure effective communication between devices within the substation, irrespective of manufacturer – existing equipment will not need to be replaced because of compatibility issues.
Use of the standard will also enable a dramatic reduction in the amount of copper cabling required. Using highcapacity fiber-optic cables in place of copper wires reduces space requirements, improves reliability and cuts installation and maintenance costs.
Another benefit of the Hitachi Energy system is that the new technologies will be installed with no interruption in the operation of the substation. Maintaining continuity of service on such an important transmission line is a priority for the customer.
“For the city of Sao Paulo, reliable electricity is essential,” said Peter Hansen, manager of Hitachi Energy’s substation automation systems business. “Our installations will help CTEEP upgrade to the most advanced global standards and achieve top levels of performance for its customers with minmal inconvenience.”
With a booming economy and rising living standards in the country, demand for electricity in Brazil has been increasing at around 5 percent a year for the past decade. The current global economic slowdown has done little to stem this rise and, while the Brazilian economy continues to grow, it is widely acknowledged that the country’s electricity system will need more expansion and modernization to keep pace.
São Paulo is the largest city in the southern hemisphere and a key venue for the 2014 soccer World Cup. Hitachi Energy’s IEC61850-compliant substation automation systems will help to improve the reliability of power supplies to the northern sector of the city. Photo credit: MAClarke21 (CC BY SA 2.0)
Hitachi Energy has extensive experience in both greenfield and refurbishment/retrofit projects for substation automation and provides sustainable migration strategies for step-wise as well as one-stop retrofit and upgrade projects. With operations in around 100 countries, and an office just outside São Paulo, Hitachi Energy is particularly well-placed to support CTEEP on this project. The company also provided a number of installations to support the 2010 soccer World Cup in South Africa. These included the delivery of a turnkey substation project for the Ellis Park stadium in Johannesburg, and key installations (transformers, switchgear and control panels) at the Green Park stadium in Cape Town.
