Features
18-03-2020
3 min read
Swedish Transport Administration selects ABB for protection of power systems
Single solution provides railway operator with flexible and reliable protection for transmission lines, transformers and catenary
Sweden has one of the most evolved rail networks in the world. Established more than 160 years ago, it is about 15,600 kilometers-long, running over 1,200 trains and carrying 140,000 passengers every day. Managing the bulk of the infrastructure and this traffic is Trafikverket, the Swedish transport administration, which ensures it is business as usual for everyone.
About 80 percent of rails on the Swedish network are electrified. As demand for regional travel and freight transport rises, keeping the grid running safely and efficiently becomes even more crucial. As a result, the government agency has signed a 2-year extendable frame contract with ABB to upgrade its system with more than 400 devices of the new Relion® RER670 intelligent electronic device (IED) for railway applications.
It is absolutely crucial to safeguard the central components of the network – transmission lines, transformers and catenary to ensure safe and reliable power supply for millions commuting on trains. ABB’s protection relays shall ensure that these components are protected and up to date, in order to improve the reliability of the public service.
“ABB has a long-standing relationship with Trafikverket, and since 1960, we have supplied Trafikverket innovative power solutions to fuel sustainable mobility in the country,” said Massimo Danieli, head of ABB’s Grid Automation business line within the company’s Power Grids business. “The new frame contract has reaffirmed ABB as a partner of choice for the Swedish Transport Administration and as a leader in quality and cost effectiveness for railway protection applications.”
Trafikverket has chosen the RER670 from ABB’s globally acclaimed Relion® product family for transformer and line distance protection for close to 50 stations across the country. The solution is designed to ensure advanced interoperability and resilience of mission critical systems. It also protects transformers and power lines with high sensitivity.
The innovative multi-functional IED incorporates the latest protection, control, measurement and monitoring technology, providing one single solution for its transmission lines, transformers and catenary. While ABB has supplied its REO517 for protection to Trafikverket for years, this is the first time the administration has chosen ABB’s RER670 for line and transformer protection. The new technology is more functional, flexible and cost-effective.
For more than a century, ABB’s expertise and technology have been central to moving people and freight across nations and continents. Its products have improved power quality and protected the network trains rely on and have safeguarded the surrounding grid from voltage disturbances and played a key role in secure and sustainable railway electrification.