Vologdaenergo Installs Breakthrough Conductor to Accommodate Increased Power Generation Without the Need to Build Larger Towers
Electric utilities in Russia are continuing to expand their adoption of 3M’s new transmission line technology, which enables substantial increases in overhead line capacity without requiring larger towers or wider rights of way.
In the latest development, Vologda TPP and Vologdaenergo this month reported the installation of 3M ACCR (Aluminum Conductor Composite Reinforced) on a line that links new combined-cycle gas turbine generating units to Vologdaenergo’s power line network. The double-circuit 110kV line boosted distribution capacity by a factor of 2.5, enabling delivery of the power generated at these units to local substations, reducing the need to import electricity from neighboring regions, and improving reliability in the area.
Last month, a utility in Siberia, Irkutsk Electronetwork Co., completed installation of ACCR, nearly doubling capacity on a line serving the central district of Irkutsk without tower construction or expanded rights of way. And in late 2011, the transmission unit of MOESK (Moscow United Electric Grid Company) installed 3M ACCR to upgrade a line serving a densely populated southern district of Moscow to avoid the need for larger towers. It was the second application of 3M ACCR in Moscow by MOESK. As of now, there are ten installations in Russia.
According to Anatoly Pinizhaninov, chief engineer of Vologdaenergo and its deputy director for technical issues, a five-year investment program that began in 2011 will include additional infrastructure upgrades, of which ACCR “will be an important component.”
Situated in northwestern Russia, Vologda is an “oblast” (administrative district) that includes the ancient city of Vologda, where Tsar Ivan the Terrible chose to hold court for a time in the 16th century. Today, the city, with an estimated population of 302,000, is an important transportation hub for international and domestic commerce, as well as a major cultural center. The district is also known for its metallurgy industries.
3M Russia has been awarded a special citation from the United Energy Systems of Russia, representing the nation’s utilities, for 3M’s development and implementation of “reliable, high-performance, and fast-payback technologies and technical solutions for the power industry.”
“After the United States, Russia now has the largest number of 3M ACCR installations,” says Tim Koenig, director of the 3M High Capacity Conductor Program. “Brazil is close behind, and the unique conductor also is at work in China and India. This is a reliable, proven technology that has been embraced enthusiastically in the world’s growing economies, especially for applications where tower construction poses environmental concerns or logistical problems, such as in congested urban neighborhoods. Its low-sag characteristic also helps address clearance issues. 3M ACCR is a versatile, cost-efficient problem-solver.”
Koenig also notes that 3M ACCR is helping utilities meet new demands being placed on electricity grids, including the need to incorporate power from renewable energy sources.
3M’s innovation is the ACCR conductor’s core, which is composed of aluminum oxide (alumina) fibers embedded in high-purity aluminum using a highly specialized and proprietary process. The result is a lightweight, low-sag, high-capacity conductor that can carry up to twice the current of conventional steel-core conductors of the same diameter on existing towers, thereby helping utilities upgrade transmission lines while avoiding a wide range of problems in a variety of applications. It has the durability and longevity of traditional steel core conductors, even after decades of continuous operation at temperatures as high as 210 degrees Celsius (410° F) and in emergency conditions at 240 degrees Celsius (464° F). The conductor’s performance has been demonstrated during testing at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee and in more than a decade of successful U.S. and international installations. ACCR was developed with the support of the U.S. Department of Energy and with early contributions by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
3M holds several patents on its ACCR technology, which has been recognized by R&D Magazinewith an R&D 100 Award as one of the most technologically significant products introduced into the marketplace, and by the Minnesota High Tech Association with a Tekne Award for innovative development.
The 3M Electrical Markets Division, based in Austin, Texas, designs, manufactures and markets products for electrical construction, industrial maintenance, utility and industrial power, and electrical and electronic components. EMD has more than 60 years of experience serving customers with highly reliable products, including electrical and electronic insulating tapes and papers; electromagnetic compatible products; power cable splices and terminations; high-temperature, low-sag transmission conductors; heat shrinkable tubing and molded shapes; electrical wire connectors, terminals, tools and lugs; wire marking products; cable ties; portable labeling devices and electrical diagnostic and detection products.
More information is available at www.3M.com.
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3MColleen Horn Harris, 651-733-15663M Public Relationsbob@lvmgroup.comorLVM Group Inc.Bob Rumerman, 212-499-6567orLVM Group Inc.Rachel Antman, 212-499-6570rachel@lvmgroup.com
