Los Angeles Refurbishing Power Systems Reliability, Safety, and Security

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) has awarded a $93 million contract to ABB (NYSE:ABB) (Zurich, Switzerland) to refurbish a 3,100 megawatt (MW) high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission system at Sylmar near Los Angeles, which will increase the reliability of the electricity supply in California. The installation, which will be completed by the end of 2004, will combine new, state-of-the-art seismic-resistant transmission materials with existing equipment.

The Los Angeles DWP is the largest city-owned utility in the U.S.A. providing electric services to 1.4 million customers and water and electricity combined to a total of 3.7 million businesses and residents in the city. It serves a geographic area of 465 square miles.

The current system, one of the two major electricity connections linking Southern California to the Northwestern United States, was damaged by the earthquake in 1994 and is now reaching the end of its operational life. The system is critical for the reliable transmission of power from hydro power plants in Oregon to the Los Angeles area.

ABB will design, manufacture, and install the 3,100MW system and will deliver new converter transformers, HVDC thyristor valves, and control and protection equipment. The company built the original terminal at Sylmar in the early 1970's and upgraded it twice in the 1990's to its present capacity. ABB's HVDC system enables large amounts of electricity to be transmitted with relatively low line losses.

As part of the Los Angeles DWP's long-term energy planning, the department is implementing a ten-year program to modernize the LA basin's power plants and upgrade the transmission system. The department last year installed six quick-firing 'super-peakers'. These sets are natural gas powered generators that can provide 47MW of power within 12 minutes and are equipped with state-of-the-art emissions controls. LADWP is in the process of modernizing two of its generating stations. It is also involved in a $132 million project to upgrade its power and water safety and security system over a five-year period.

Three 250kW Direct Fuel Cells (DFC) have also been installed by LADWP, supplied by Fuel Cell Energy (NASDAQ:FCEL) (Danbury, Connecticut). These fuel cells can be operated in urban areas as they are quiet and operate without burning fuel or producing measurable nitrogen and sulfur emissions. The DFC units provide a distributed generation option for energy generated near the user. These units are cost effective and protect the environment.