GE Research and Prolec GE power up world’s 1st large flexible transformer
USA, NY, Niskayuna: GE Research and Prolec GE have teamed with Cooperative Energy to develop and install the world’s 1st flexible large power transformer.
USA, NY, Niskayuna: GE Research and Prolec GE have teamed with Cooperative Energy to develop and install the world’s 1st flexible large power transformer.
The transformer will be installed at the utility’s major substation in Columbia, Mississippi. This substation is part of a service network that delivers power to nearly a half million homes and businesses across Mississippi.
The transformer, rated at 165 kV, 60/80/100 MVA and developed as part of an ongoing project funded through the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Electricity, has begun six months of field validation to assess its performance and understand how this new technology could transform grid management in the future.
“Strengthening our grid and facilitating the transition to a more renewable-intensive energy portfolio will require a more flexible infrastructure, including transformers, to manage the wider range of voltage and frequency oscillation that utility operators will see,” said Ibrahima Ndiaye, Technology Manager at GE Research Center and project leader.
Ndiaye noted that the introduction of new transformer technologies is coming at a pivotal time for the nation’s grid infrastructure. Today, more than 70 % of the US installed large transformer base (> 60 MVA) is 25-years or older, with around 15 % exceeding the average life expectancy of 40 years. Gradual replacement of the existing fleet with more flexible power transformer solutions would greatly expand the grid capacity and accommodate more renewable resources and highly variable loads.
GE Research has been working closely with the Prolec GE team to develop the flexible transformer technology and partner with Cooperative Energy on the field demonstration.
Source: GE
#Cooperative Energy#flexible large power transformer#GE Research#Prolec#USA