smart grid

ABB has secured a contract worth US$160 million with Jurong Shipyard Pte to design, supply, install, test and commission the main electrical systems for seven drill ships. The ships will drill wells in oil and gas fields off the southeast coast of Brazil.

The ships will be powered from on-board subsystems that in turn are powered by ABB’s integrated electrical package.

This will include complete electrical systems including generators, distribution switchboards, transformers, drives and motors to power the ships’ thrusters and drilling systems. All ABB solutions meet or exceed IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) and the customer’s standards for safety, and are in full compliance with strict IMO (International Maritime Organisation) regulations to ensure uninterrupted drilling operations.

The deliveries for the order will commence this year, and the vessels are due for delivery to the ship-owner in 2015.

NEC Italia SpA has announced an agreement with Italian utility service provider Acea Spa to develop lithium-ion energy storage systems (ESS) for Acea’s substations.

NEC will provide one 180kW/ 100kWh substation and one 100kW/ 50kWh substation to Acea in Rome, due to be operational in September 2013. The ESS, which will greatly advance Rome’s smart grid system, will provide improved quality of utility services, reduce energy losses and improve the management of energy from distributed sources such as wind and PV.

The larger of the two systems will be connected to Acea’s low-voltage electricity grid to provide backup power in the event of a power outage. The smaller system will be connected to the mid-voltage grid to regulate and even out energy from distributed generators by compensating for power fluctuations.

“NEC is proud to partner with a visionary company like Acea, who understands the importance of Smart Grids for successfully meeting the demands of utility companies as well as reducing environmental burdens,” said Ugo Govigli, Vice President, Smart Grid Solutions, NEC Europe. “These ESS were designed entirely by the NEC EMEA Energy competence centre which was established in Italy in 2011. We expect these developments to pave the way into new energy market segments throughout EMEA.”?

A smart grid pilot project is to be implemented in Worcester, Massachusetts, US by the National Grid to demonstrate the uses of available technology to improve energy efficiency.

Its aim is to provide energy customers with choice and control over the energy they use to empower customers to save energy, while increasing electric service reliability and improving response to power outages.

National Grid has amassed a team of experts to work on the project to construct and deliver an end-to-end smart grid pilot including smart meters, advanced communications technologies, in-home energy management tools, devices for electric system automation, as well as customer outreach and education, project management, integration and evaluation.

Unlike other smart grid trials in the US, customer engagement is key. Customers choose their level of involvement and can receive information about their energy use via the website and downloadable app. Pricing options will be available so customers can save energy and money at different times of day.

National Grid will also be researching the option of full integration of renewable energy sources, installing EV charging stations and connecting energy storage to existing renewable projects.