ABB has won orders worth $140 million from the Mexican national power utility for substations and SVC (Static Var Compensator) solutions to help expand power capacity, extend the transmission and distribution network, and improve grid reliability. The projects are scheduled for completion in around 18 months.

The new installations will help Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE) meet rising demand for electricity in Mexico and improve reliability by reducing interruptions caused in part by weather conditions. CFE has a generation capacity of 50,000 megawatts and serves some 80 million people.

“In addition to expanding the power supply network in Mexico, these solutions will also improve the security and reliability of electricity in the region,” said Peter Leupp, head of ABB's Power Systems division.

For one project, ABB will supply two turnkey substations and a 400-kilovolt Static Var Compensator, a device that provides fast-acting reactive power compensation to reduce fluctuations in high-voltage electricity networks. This stabilizing effect allows more power to flow through the network, while maintaining safety margins. This project also includes upgrading of a 179-kilometer transmission line to serve the states of Campeche, Tabasco and Yucatán.

As part of a similar project in the northeast of Mexico near the U.S. border, ABB will design, supply, install and commission eight 180-MVA substations and a 44-km transmission line. These substations will serve the states of Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas . The order includes air-insulated switchgear (AIS), power transformers and a range of circuit breakers.