ABB will provide maintenance supervision services for six medium-voltage DC traction substations powering the Gold Coast Light Rail project in Queensland.
The agreement provides a customised maintenance and service solution that will ensure the six traction substations continue to provide maximum reliability and power for the light rail system operated by KDR Gold Coast. Safeguarding the performance of this equipment is essential to meeting the transport needs of more than 18,000 G:link commuters who use the rapid transit system every day.
Operators of the light rail link, KDR Gold Coast, issued ABB with the contract which will run across a three-year period. The substations were designed, manufactured and commissioned by ABB in 2014 as part of an earlier contract.
“Combining more than 100 years of innovation and experience in the substation domain and rail sector allows us to maximise power availability and keep operating costs as low as possible for our customers,” ABB Australia general manager Axel Kuhr said.
ABB will utilise the diagnostic and repair practices to provide 24-hour support with a guaranteed response time, annual preventive maintenance and access to NEPLAN diagnosis for six transportable substations.
NEPLAN is a planning and information system designed for managing, analysing and optimising all voltage levels of electricity networks. The collection and analysis of condition and diagnostic data throughout the lifecycle of equipment is permitting a shift from time-based to condition-based maintenance, maximising availability and reliability, while also reducing the costs of interventions and the associated downtime.
The six substations are rated at 11kV AC 750V DC and are housed in transportable outdoor buildings with key technologies integrated. These products include rectifiers, DC switchgear, SafePlus medium-voltage switchgear, dry-type rectifier and auxiliary transformers, leakage current monitoring systems and auxiliary equipment.
