ABB wins $73 million power order in Switzerland: New control system will facilitate more efficient management of nuclear power plant
ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has won orders worth $73 million from Kernkraftwerk Leibstadt (KKL) to refurbish and upgrade the non safety related operational control and automation system at their 1,220 megawatt Leibstadt nuclear power plant in Switzerland.
For this upgrade, ABB will replace the existing multiple control systems with a single solution, based on its Extended Automation System 800xA. ABB will design, engineer, install, commission and test the installation, and is also responsible for upgrading the KKL simulator used for operator training.
To avoid any disruption in electricity supplies, the project will be carried out in phases that coincide with planned annual outages, starting in 2011 and running until 2018. Prior to installation, each stage of implementation will be extensively tested on a full-size test bed and on the KKL training simulator.
The initial scope of the new control system will include the ventilation systems, the demineralization plant and the cooling tower make-up water system, which makes up for losses due to evaporation. It will later be extended to incorporate the water steam cycle, the turbine controls, operational reactor support systems and other elements, under a frame agreement between ABB and KKL.
“Upgrading the control system will improve access to critical data and facilitate efficient management of the plant,” said Peter Leupp, head of ABB’s Power Systems division. “Improved reliability and efficiency will help ensure smooth and safe operations at the plant for many years to come.”
ABB’s System 800xA has been successfully deployed in power generation applications across the world, and has numerous applications in many other process industries. Its single platform lets operators view and control systems across a plant from a central or even remote location. The system also incorporates processes that maintain the highest levels of safety and reliability, while at the same time optimizing specific process parameters like energy and/or cost efficiency.
Source: ABB Power
