Hitachi supplies two EconiQ transformers to China “zero carbon” substation
Hitachi Energy has supplied two 110 kilovolt, 63 megavolt ampere EconiQ™ power transformers to China’s State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) for a substation project underway in the Jiangsu Province, on China’s east coast.
The 110 kilovolt Gaoxiang (Qingshu) “zero carbon” substation is a demonstration project in Wuxi, one of the largest cities in the province, with over 7.4 million people and a key city in the Yangtze Delta commercial area.
“Our EconiQ™ transformers are advancing the electricity industry’s sustainability journey and we are proud to support SGCC in building their first ‘zero-carbon substation’,” said Bruno Melles, Managing Director for Hitachi Energy’s transformer business. “These highly efficient and bio-degradable ester-filled transformers come with several benefits including reduction of carbon footprint and enhanced safety for people and local ecosystems”.
The SGCC energy saving and eco-efficient substation is expected to save about 18,000 tonnes of CO2eq emissions over its lifetime. EconiQ™ transformers from Hitachi Energy along with other equipment such as photovoltaic solar panels and an energy storage system for the substation’s auxiliary operations will contribute to the development of the “net zero substation concept”, in line with China’s carbon neutrality target.
The reduction of the transformers’ carbon footprint comes from a low loss design as well as from the use of natural ester biodegradable fluid as the insulating medium, the first of its kind at 110 kilovolts for SGCC. The plants from which the natural ester fluid is produced absorb CO2 during their growth phase in a process known as biogenic carbon capture.
The use of natural ester also reduces the transformers’ impact on local eco-systems, especially in the rare event of an uncontained leakage. From a safety perspective, the higher flash point of natural esters reduces the risk of fire, protecting people who may be working nearby and the surrounding substation equipment. The transformers come with a disassembly manual with disposal and recycling guidelines for the end of the transformer’s life, supporting the circular economy.
Source and image: Hitachi Energy
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