March 11, 2010 - ABB won a $30 million order from GA Solar, part of the Gestamp Corporation, to deliver a 13 megawatt (MW) photovoltaic (PV) power plant in northern Spain. Once connected to the grid, the plant will supply up to 22.6 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electric power a year, avoiding the generation of over 11,500 tons of CO2 emissions, equivalent to the annual emission of over 4,800 European cars. ABB will be responsible for the design, engineering, erection, civil works and commissioning of the plant, which is scheduled for completion within the year thanks to ABB’s modular eBOP (electrical balance of plant) concept.
By pre-assembling individual components of the plant’s electrical systems in modules and testing them prior to delivery, on-site installation and commissioning is fast and simple, reducing costs and project risks. ABB's efficient, 1 MW PV power plant modules generate around 15 percent more energy than alternative units in this range. ABB will supply all the electrical equipment required to connect the plant to the grid, including medium- and low-voltage switchgear, transformers and a medium-voltage substation.
ABB will also install patented control and automation technologies including a tracker system with AC 500 PLCs to enable the plant’s solar panels to follow the sun’s movement across the sky and maximize generating capacity, and System 800xA for control, integration and to collect information from the tracker system. “This project demonstrates how ABB technologies help to integrate renewable energy into our power networks, safely and efficiently, adding power capacity with minimal environmental impact” said Peter Leupp, head of ABB’s Power Systems division. ABB has an extensive range of products, systems and services for the power generation sector, including thermal, hydro, nuclear, wind, and solar power plants.
The company has recently supplied power and automation solutions for several photovoltaic and thermo solar power plants, including Totana, Andasol and Extresol in Spain, Hassi R’Mel in Algeria, and the Sierra SunTower in California. 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 117,000 people.
