The City of Cape Town, which is responsible for delivering energy to some 4.8 million residents in the Western Cape, has awarded ABB a three-year contract for a phased retrofit of legacy medium voltage (MV) switchgear in its electrical infrastructure.
ABB’s compact VD4-LMT vacuum circuit breakers are easy and quick to install.
The new contract follows the success of an initial 2020 project, which saw more than 400, 11 kV oil-filled circuit breakers and over 100 SF6 insulated circuit breakers replaced with next generation ABB VD4 vacuum circuit breakers, and the safe disposal of 160 kg of potent SF6 gas.
The City has teamed up again with ABB to install additional 12 kV VD4 circuit breakers and ancillary equipment to replace its ageing LMX installations. The new devices will clear potentially harmful short-circuit faults in tens of milliseconds, preventing severe damage to electrical infrastructure and minimising the risk of downtime, a critical concern for the Western Cape during planned load shedding.
Enhanced safety for operators is also a key consideration, with the installation of a type tested arc-vent door behind which the racking of the circuit breakers is completed.
Frans Bouwer, ABB Regional Manager for the Western Cape, said, “We are proud to be a long-term service provider for the City of Cape Town and to be selected to support the City on this modernisation project.
“Improving the reliability of the power supply is important for the Western Cape but this project goes much further. The City is investing in an upgrade which will increase the quality and availability of power supply, and it has sought a sustainable solution which supports the circular economy,” he said.
Over the past four years, ABB has delivered a range of savings and efficiency gains for the City. By only replacing older legacy circuit breakers, and not the entire feeder board and substation, the upgrades were executed with minimal downtime, and the costs and emissions associated with replacing the entire switchgear were avoided.
The carefully executed retrofit preserved most of the City’s existing installed base and prevented the use of an estimated 358 400 litres of oil – had like-for-like circuit breakers been used. Furthermore, the project ensured the safe and sustainable disposal of the old SF6 breakers and gases. One kg of SF6 has the equivalent greenhouse effect (or climate change effect) as 23 500 kg of CO2, and ABB’s full-circle end-of-life service was implemented to eliminate any risk from the SF6 disposal.
Bouwer added: “Upgrading outdated components is where the largest environmental gains and cost savings can be made – reducing the total cost of ownership by a third, substantially extending the lifecycle of installed assets and minimising the need for on-site maintenance and associated transport emissions.”
Patrick O'Halloran, Principal Professional Officer: Equipment Standards for the City of Cape Town, said, “ABB’s collaborative approach, combined with their innovative retrofit solution, has been key in successfully continuing the ongoing modernisation of our electrical infrastructure, ensuring reliable and sustainable energy supply to the region and supporting our strong environmental commitments.”
More than half of electrical equipment, such as metal switchgear cabinets, steel plates and busbars, can be used for long periods without being replaced if outdated components such as circuit breakers, relays and internal components are upgraded, regularly monitored and maintained.
ABB’s compact VD4-LMT vacuum circuit breakers are easy and quick to install. The 12 kV range includes 630 A, 1 250 A and 2 000 A circuit breakers type tested at 25 kA for 3 seconds. VD4 mechanisms are tested to perform more than 10 000 mechanical operations, delivering increased durability and reducing downtime.
For more information visit: go.abb/electrification
