July 6, 2009 – ABB will supply electrical and automation solutions worth $25 million for an expansion of the Machu Picchu hydroelectric power plant in Peru's Cusco region, about 1,300 km east of the capital, Lima. A second powerhouse built underground at an elevation of 1,800 meters above sea level will add 100-MW to the plant's present 90-MW capacity. Besides more than doubling the plant's current generation capacity, the expansion will help regulate the level and flow of the Vilcanota river, minimizing the risk of landslides and flooding.
The project will be executed as part of a strategic alliance with Harbin Electric Machinery Co.Ltd., one of the world’s leading turbine suppliers, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2011. As part of the project, ABB will provide an integrated instrumentation, control and electrical solution, which includes protection and control equipment, instrumentation and control products, medium- and high-voltage switchgear, generator circuit breakers, excitation systems, transformers and cables. ABB will also supply its renowned System 800xA power plant control system for the hydro governor and balance-of-plant, enabling all automation functions from a single platform.
Integrating the process and electrical automation system on the common 800xA platform will provide additional benefits in reduced maintenance, engineering and overall lifecycle costs. “Advanced ABB technologies can help harness the power of renewables to generate and reliably deliver clean, efficient energy,” said Franz-Josef Mengede, head of the global Power Generation business, a part of ABB’s Power Systems division. Once the plant is commissioned, electricity consumers in the region will benefit from a reliable power supply and relief from voltage fluctuations and power cuts. They should also see a reduction in electricity tariffs, resulting from reduced transmission losses and the absence of tolling charges for power transmission across high voltage lines.
ABB will execute the project for Grana y Montero, a local engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) company which has been engaged by Empresa de Generacion Electrica Machu Picchu S.A. (EGEMSA), the leading state-owned power utility in Peru.ABB is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs around 120,000 people.
