ABB wins $22 million process control contract

ABB has won orders worth $22 million from Vattenfall Europe Generation AG & Co. KG, Berlin, to optimise the process control systems for the utility's Jänschwalde and Boxberg power stations in Lausitz, Germany.

Under the terms of contract, ABB will expand the existing automation and upgrade the operating and monitoring systems for process control at the two coal-fired plants. Jänschwalde - one of the largest lignite fired power plants in Europe - has six units rated at 500 megawatts each. Boxberg Power Station III operates two 500-megawatt lignite-fired units.

According to ABB, the planned refurbishment will almost fully automate the operation of both stations, reduce their start-up times and improve their overall cost effectiveness.

Increasing the degree of automation in the remaining digital control system and migrating and re-structuring human system interface and plant information systems will create an almost fully automatic process control system.

The modifications are scheduled for completion by 2005 and will be carried out unit-by-unit during already planned audits to prevent additional outages.