Zürich, Switzerland, August 29, 2007 – ABB signed a $25 million contract with Kenya Power & Lighting Co (KPLC) to upgrade and expand the system that controls Kenya's power transmission network and the distribution network in the capital city of Nairobi.
ABB supplied the original SCADA/EMS System (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition/Energy Management System) 20 years ago and has also been the major supplier of utility communication equipment to KPLC over the last 30 years.
"We are very pleased to be able to continue to work with KPLC on improving the quality, reliability and security of the electricity supply in Kenya," said Peter Leupp, head of ABB's Power System division.
The control system will comprise five control centers, in Nairobi and around the country, equipped with redundant computer systems and ABB Network Manager SCADA/EMS software for the operation, control, analysis and enhancement of the electrical network, and for power generation management. To enable the reliable operation of the control system, the centers will be linked to more than 90 substations and power stations by over 1300 km of OPGW (Optical Ground Wire), ABB FOX 515 multiplexers, ABB ETL 600 Digital Power Line Carrier (DPLC) and radio communications.
Maintaining power delivery as load increases in the morning, keeping it within security limits during daily peaks, and managing load decreases at night are just some of the tasks the control system will perform. During unplanned disturbances, preparedness is vital in order to avoid large-scale outages, make rapid analysis and re-establish power supply.
Over the past 40 years, ABB has been selected for many of the world's most challenging energy management projects, delivering hundreds of installations.
ABB is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 111,000 people.
