Located at the River Shannon that runs 360 km in length, Ardnacrusha is Ireland’s first and largest hydroelectric power plant owned and operated by the Electricity Supply Board (ESB), Ireland’s largest utility.
Built in 1929, Ardnacrusha’s hydropower plant in County Clare was generating 86-megawatt (MW) of electricity which sufficient for the entire country at that time. In the 90s, expand the capacity of the power plant was increased to meet growing electricity demand.
A refurbishment project was undertaken by ESB Networks in 2015 to replace the aging outdoor air-insulated substation (AIS) to an indoor gas-insulated switchgear (GIS). Hitachi Energy designed, installed and commissioned 18 bays of 145 kV GIS type ELK-04 that offered a compact footprint with minimized environmental impact due to its modular design.
Today, Hitachi Energy's GIS technology is helping ESB to continue to supply clean and reliable energy. Ardnacrusha remains an important provider of clean energy to the country, providing electricity at during peak hours as well as a source of backup in case of emergencies.
Sources: ESB, Siliconrepublic
| Main data | |
|---|---|
| Year of installation | 2015 |
| Type of switchgear | ELK-04, 145 kV |
| Rated voltage | 110 kV |
| Rated current | 2500 A |
| Rated frequency | 50 Hz |
| Short-circuit current |
40 kA |