ABB to help UK dockyard enhance green energy options

September 5, 2018 - The naval base in Portsmouth, spread over 150 hectares, with 10 kilometers of waterfront, is home to almost two-thirds of the Royal Navy’s surface fleet, including frigates, vessels, the Fishery Protection Squadron and the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers. Now BAE systems, the contractor responsible for the dockyard electrical systems, is installing ABB´s shore-to-ship power solution to energize high power consumption vessels in a pioneering project.
Port operators in different parts of the world are adopting shore-to-ship power connections that enable berthed vessels to shut down their diesel engines and plug in to the port-side network to power their onboard loads. This offers a number of benefits, including saving fuel costs, cutting emissions and reducing the impact of noise and vibration on the local environment.
Previously, frequency conversion in the power supply at Portsmouth was carried out by rotary frequency converters (RFCs) - complex mechanical systems that combine motors, generators, drives and ancillary regulation and control equipment. As the RFCs in Portsmouth were nearing the end of their service life, BAE Systems turned to ABB for new solid-state power electronics technology.
ABB responded by developing a new solution based on medium voltage static frequency conversion (SFC) technology. Unlike the RFC, the SFC has no moving parts, apart from its cooling fans. Higher SFC efficiency (over 98%) allows a reduction in the total cost of ownership for end users
ABB is supplying the SFC as part of a complete package including a dry-type 11 kilovolt (kV) to 6.6 kV transformer and control equipment to interface with the dockyard’s electrical management system. The project is scheduled for completion in 2019.
About ABB
ABB is a specialist in power grids, electrification products, indus-trial automation and robotics and motion, serving customers in utilities, industry and transport & infrastructure globally. Continuing a history of innovation spanning more than 130 years, ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 147,000 employees.

Check out our free e-newsletters
to read more great articles.
MORE CASE STUDIES
-
Rockwell Automation helps Midwest Farmers Cooperative enhance distributed control systems
MFC worked with system integrator Wachter Inc. to design an automated facility, based on the PlantPAx distributed control system (DCS) from...
-
ABB helps enhance Spanish indoor skydiving facility with variable speed drives
The Windoor Realfly vertical indoor wind tunnel in Empuriabrava uses variable speed drives (VSDs) to control the fans that generate winds of...
-
TOSIBOX helps Gröninger Cleaning Systems enable remote machine management
Gröninger Cleaning Systems equipped its machinery in remote locations with TOSIBOX Locks, enabling remote control and maintenance. Behind each...
-
KASTO helps German steel merchant implement bar storage and distribution system
The KASTO solution is based on a UNICOMPACT storage system which, with a height of 15 m and a length of 115 m, has space for around 10,000...
-
Siemens helps Brazilian steel works company digitalize operations
With a goal of increasing productivity and shortening the development time of new products, Maxiforja has adopted Femap software, the Plant...
RELATED
-
Softomotive announces Softomotive’s RPA Academy online learning portal
The Softomotive Academy is designed to improve the employability quotient of professionals and developers. It provides them with the opportunity to...
-
ISA announces final call for Educational Foundation Scholarship applications
University students who have potential in the field of automation should submit an application. All applications must be submitted no later than...
-
Lean Manufacturing and the Global Digital Process Automation Market
By Thomas R. Cutler
Digital Visual Management on the manufacturing plant floor is secure by creating virtual meeting rooms for real-time, 24/7,... -
OSI to help Spanish power company enhance SCADA/Generation Management System
This system with replace an aging SCADA/GMS currently servicing the Balearic and Canary Islands, two Spanish archipelagos in the Mediterranean Sea...
-
Beckhoff Automation announces Kevin Barker as President
As the new president, Barker will oversee all sales, engineering, marketing and administrative operations from the headquarters of Beckhoff...