Entergy Corp. has awarded three high-voltage transmission projects to Siemens Power T&D Inc. (Raleigh, North Carolina). The new installations will help Entergy increase reliability and capacity on its power transmission system to help meet increasing demand in its Western Service Area.

The three FACTS (Flexible AC Transmission Systems) projects will include two Static VAR Compensators (SVC) and one Fixed Series Capacitor (FSC) that will be built at three primary Entergy substations in Texas and Louisiana. Siemens has contracted with Beta Engineering LLC (Pineville, Louisiana) to provide site installation, engineering and construction services for the turnkey projects. Construction is expected to begin in October 2004.

Several system upgrades are underway in Entergy's Western Service Area, including a new 230-kV transmission line from China, Texas, to Porter, Texas. The FSC will be installed at the midpoint of this line, and will improve power flow and provide for 70% compensation of the line. Beta Engineering, under a separate contract with Entergy, has begun construction of a new substation in Porter, which will include the Siemens SVC as well as Siemens power circuit breakers, autotransformers and station arresters.

“Entergy has committed to increasing our system reliability and capacity to better serve our customers and to ensure the stability of our transmission system,” said John Zemanek, vice president, transmission. In 2001, Siemens and Beta completed a similar FSC installation at the Jacinto Substation in eastern Texas.

A second SVC is being installed at the Ninemile Substation in southeastern Louisiana. The turnkey project will allow Entergy greater flexibility in power supply to the area without loss of system stability or voltage support. Siemens was also awarded maintenance contracts for the three new FACTS projects.
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