Development of a power source for rural electriciation

This paper presents the solutions provided by ABB Station Service Voltage Transformer (SSVT) as a power source that more effectively enables the rural community to access electricity from the high voltage transmission grid. Typical community electrification applications consist of construction of electrical network infrastructures requiring higher investment, more space, and longer duration. An alternative solution developed by ABB is to apply the SSVT product to serve as a mini-substation, stepping down the power supply directly from the high voltage transmission line to low voltage or medium voltage output in one step to provide power source to small residential areas without the large investment. Rough estimations indicate using SSVT for rural electrification can reduce cost by as much as 80% over a traditional substation. ABB has continuously developed new and different technological solutions on global humanitarian challenges for access to electricity. One recent project that ABB Power Systems and ABB High Voltage Power Products coordinated on is delivering 7 units of 230kV SSVT to supply power to 7 rural villages in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) on a project funded by the World Bank. The project is focused on changing people´s lives in these villages and help them fight poverty.