Enea Operator will replace HV/MV transformers and increase the grid connection capacity
Enea Operator will soon install 129 high-power transformers (ranging from 25 MVA to 40 MVA) at high-to-medium voltage (HV/MV) substations. The company has recently signed contracts with three manufacturers of these devices. This initiative will not only enhance Enea Operator's ability to connect new consumers but also renewable energy producers. The transformer replacement project is scheduled for completion by 2028, with a total investment exceeding 444 million PLN.
Enea Operator is an active participant in the energy transition and a leader in the industry in terms of the installed renewable energy capacity relative to electricity demand in its area. Therefore, in addition to systematically improving grid security, the company is also committed to increasing the potential for connecting new consumers and renewable energy producers. One of the key initiatives supporting this goal is the extensive installation of HV/MV transformers, with a total of 129 units planned. This project will initiate the replacement of existing power units, their relocation to other facilities, and installation in newly built and comprehensively modernized HV/MV substations.
"We plan to install fourteen of these units this year, with most of them in the Szczecin Branch area," says Bogumiła Strzelecka, Vice President for Network Infrastructure at Enea Operator. "Transformers identified for primary replacement or rotation, based on technical condition assessments, will either be decommissioned or repaired for continued operation within the grid," she adds.
The new units, along with those obtained through rotation and secondary redistribution, will facilitate the execution of issued connection conditions and already signed grid connection agreements. They will also enhance the ability to integrate renewable energy sources (RES).
Importantly, dozens of the installed transformers will be equipped with an area-wide monitoring system (OMT), which will provide real-time data on dynamic transformer loading (DOT).
The delivered units will also feature additional diagnostic equipment that collects signals and information to actively manage their technical condition. This includes monitoring devices for gas content in transformer oil, oil parameters, the technical state of bushing insulators, and the condition of on-load tap changers.
Enea Operator announced a tender for the procurement and replacement of transformers in October last year. Three companies submitted bids to manufacture the units according to the specified requirements, and contracts have now been signed with: Fabryka Transformatorów w Żychlinie, Power Engineering Transformatory, and ZREW Transformatory. The total cost of the project exceeds PLN 444 million (net).
Source: https://media.enea.pl