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Whenever a high-voltage DC transmission system, a FACTS compensation system or HV-substation requires refurbishment or an upgrade, Siemens provides expert support right from the start.

High-Voltage Refurbishment Solutions

Ensure competitive performance, adapt to new market conditions, protect existing investments. High-voltage DC transmission systems, FACTS compensation systems as well as high-voltage substations usually operate successfully for decades. Still, certain components of a transmission system or a switchyard may require refurbishment for various reasons. To assure the overall system’s intended service life the Siemens Energy experts are committed to helping you define the right course of action and making your refurbishment project a complete success.
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Refurbishment ensures optimum performance

While it is obvious that a refurbishment of high-voltage components is needed at some point, the right time as well as scope needs to be defined. There are various factors which have an influence on this decision. By providing support for system analysis, such as for visual inspection or early grid studies, Siemens Energy’s experts can support system operators with these decisions. There’s no such thing as a general rule of thumb here, because operating modes and strategies, business goals, and external factors differ considerably.

Basically, there are four main reasons for refurbishment. The Siemens Energy experts help carve out the requirements of both the operator and the individual HVDC / FACTS system, or high-voltage switchyard and finally deliver a solution that ensures smooth and successful refurbishment.

Ensure service lifetime

HVDC and FACTS systems as well as high-voltage switchgears have a typical lifetime of about 40 years, considering regular and proper maintenance. The typical service life of control and protection equipment as well as other control devices, however, is much shorter. A customized retrofit with state-of-the-art technology enables the system’s performance to be maintained and ensures reliable power transmission and power quality throughout the entire system lifetime.

Service life extension

Thanks to their robust technology, HVDC and FACTS systems as well as high-voltage switchgears boast a long service life. In many cases a substantial refurbishment can extend this service life even further by allowing for ideal operation modes. This helps keep maintenance costs at bay and defer the need for a new system considerably.

Adaptation to external factors

Grid conditions can change during the service life of a high-voltage transmission system or switchyard. The increasing amount of renewable power infeed may have led to a decreased short circuit level. A changed grid configuration may have prompted additional harmonics to occur. The increasing degree of digitalization may require adjustments and modifications of the secondary systems to ensure competitive operation. In other cases, operators have changed their business model and require an adaption to the actual needs such as adapted ratings or other operating points. Targeted refurbishment measures help cushion such effects.

Performance increase

Refurbishment measures can help optimize losses as well as the utilization of a system’s transmission and overload capabilities and in this way increase the profitability of a transmission system noticeably and sustainably. In other cases, the implementation of black start capability can boost both the technical and the economic benefit of an existing system. 

Defining the scope of refurbishment measures

Three basic questions help system operators identify required and advisable measures, define the scope of works, and determine adequate procedures. Siemens Energy provides support in finding the right answer with system assessments, business case analyses, and adequate pre-studies.

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High-Voltage Refurbishment Solutions at a glance

High-voltage solutions are unique and complex. Various options for refurbishments exist. To define the right scope and target for the refurbishment, please find below a variety of Siemens Energy’s high-voltage refurbishment portfolio:

  • Support during planning phase
  • Feasibility studies to support scope definition
  • System assessments
  • Business case analysis 
  • Outage planning

Reasons for HVDC and FACTS systems as well as high-voltage switchgear refurbishment are very individual. These range from cybersecurity issues to the need for control and protection updates, adaptions to changed grid conditions, the implementation of black start capability, and desired performance increases all the way up to the expectable end of life of a system’s key components.

Siemens Energy helps find out whether refurbishment measures make sense, define the scope, and create a customized project plan. 

No refurbishment measure is like the other and many things need to be considered. Costs need to be analyzed and the question of financing options may arise. Project steps and specifications need to be defined meticulously and the possible timeframe to be evaluated. Finally, system operators need to know exactly what they’ll have to do in the course of the project.

Siemens Energy offers workshops and consulting to analyze the exact requirements and to define the ideal procedure. Siemens Energy can also help issue budgets to define investment costs and can provide financial support.

Finding the right time for a refurbishment measure is crucial – and it’s never easy. Along with the question when has the time come to change system elements or rather an entire station, the availability of required spare parts needs to be clarified. Also, the outage time and its duration must be defined while keeping an eye on the need for an efficiently running power system.

While regular maintenance and checks performed by Siemens Energy experts help increase a system’s lifetime and manage possible obsolescence, component monitoring systems enable predictive maintenance. 

Staying competitive due to successful refurbishments

Siemens Energy has already carried out numerous HVDC, high-voltage switchgear, and FACTS refurbishments for system operators around the world. Here’s an overview of some of the most exciting projects.

AIS/GIS – Refurbishment of Reitdorf substation during operation

  • Replacement of the 110 kV high-voltage components and construction of an additional feeder, inspection and upgrade of scaffoldings, complete high-voltage cables, modernization of the control and protection equipment and of the associated cabling
  • All work performed during operation with the aid of additional temporary arrangements to ensure the operation of both transformers    
  • Completion within half a year thanks to precise sequence planning and tight adherence to schedules

HVDC – Refurbishment and upgrade of Welsh back-to-back station

  • Replacement of the existing control and protection equipment to ensure stable and reliable operation for the next decade. 
  • Installation of new harmonic AC filters to cope with changed grid conditions 
  • Close cooperation with the customer ensured timely completion

HVDC – Refurbishment of Pole 2 of the HVDC Inter-Island link

  • Upgrade to latest thyristor technology, increase of power capacity, and update to the highest seismic standards (IEEE 693)
  • Refurbishment of control and protection equipment and connection to new Pole 3 after decommissioning of old Pole 1
  • Performed as part of the HVDC Inter-Island Link Pole 3 project and completed in 2012

HVDC – Control system update for the Trans Bay Cable project

  • Upgrade of world’s first HVDC PLUS converter station, which was commissioned in 2010 
  • Retrofitting of black start capacity to allow a quick restart of the system in case of a blackout in San Francisco    
  • The new feature allows up to 300 MWe to be directly fed into the city via the Trans Bay Cable to provide enough electricity city for all critical infrastructure while the remaining network is still down after a blackout

Close cooperation ensures the success of your refurbishment project

The Siemens Energy experts are there to support you right from the beginning of your refurbishment project. They’ll ensure that all measures are based on your individual business case and this way protect your competitiveness. Siemens Energy experts will introduce their entire know-how to evaluate the viability of the project, help optimize the refurbished system’s design, and support you in defining the scope of works as well as in planning the project schedule and the outage times. Site visits and the documentation of remaining parts together with the operating and maintenance staff ensure maximum system transparency. Continuous dialogue and health checks provide maximum planning security. In a nutshell: Partnering with Siemens Energy makes sure that your refurbishment project will be a complete success.       

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